Presentation by Department on Budget

Tourism

22 February 1999
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Meeting report

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS & TOURISM PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

22 February 1999

PRESENTATION BY DEPARTMENT ON BUDGET

Documents handed out

Director General's presentation

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism budget summary

MINUTES

Chairperson, Gwen Mahlangu welcomed the Director General, Prof. FitzGerald, to the meeting, and asked him to present the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism budget for 1999/2000.

The Director General started by saying the budget allocation for 1999/2000 was R462 million. The previous year, the amount had been R412 million. The major factor resulting in the increase was a R50 million allocation for international tourism marketing.

The three statutory bodies the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism was responsible for would receive the following allocations: SATOUR R69 million, South Africa National Parks R51 million, and the National Botanical Institute R45 million. The SATOUR transfer accounted for 90% of SATOUR's income. Options such as paying websites were being looked at to increase SATOUR's external revenue. The South African National Parks allocation contributed to 16% of the income. This would in all likelihood decrease with time.

The highlight of the budget included the R50 million grant for international tourist marketing. The Director General added that in terms of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the improved relationships and support from donors were encouraging, as was the transformed and improved lines of communication and strategic co-operation with the statutory bodies.

However, the application for the continuation of the R10 million for international marketing schemes for small and medium enterprises had been refused. The scheme used to refund small tourism initiatives costs for participating in international tourism marketing events. The scheme was well known in the industry, and was a success. It was therefore very unfortunate to now have to cancel the scheme. The scheme had been approved by Cabinet, but the fiscal did not provide the funds, rather referred the claim to the Department of Trade and Industry. This Department did not want to continue its support of R10 million.

The South Africa Weather Bureau has recently been in the spotlight due to the extreme weather events, and the Bureau's inability to give better warnings. The Director General explained that weather equipment was imported, and the decline in the Rand had greatly reduced the capacity of the Bureau. Some weather stations had to be closed, and balloons were only operating at 40% of the levels from 4-5 years ago. Some of the negative affects had been offset by the better technology and interpreting techniques.

On the side of information technology, the Director General stated there was not the money required to put in place the information system that environmental management needs.

The Director General noted that posts had been lost due to voluntary severance packages. New tasks and responsibilities had been added to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and losing the posts was a serious blow. He added that vehicle quality was a problem. However, of even more serious concern was the state of the Departments ships.

In general, the department’s budget had fallen against inflation, with the exception being the R50 million increase for international tourism management.

Department's Programmes for 1999

PROGRAMME 1: ADMINISTRATION

AIM

• To conduct the overall management of the department

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

• Policy formulation by the Minister, Deputy Minister, Director-General and other members of the department’s management

• Organizing the department, rendering centralised administrative, legal and office support services, managing departmental personnel and financial administration, determining working methods and procedures and exercising control through head office

PROGRAMME 2: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

AIM

• To ensure effective protection and controlled utilisation of the environment

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

Management

• Formulation of policy, and coordination and overall management of environmental conservation

Natural environment

• Maintaining biodiversity and ecological systems

Environmental impact management

• Controlling activities which have a detrimental effect on the environment, including application of economic measures

Human living environment

• Environmental education, as well as the creation and maintenance of acceptable physical and cultural human living environments

Environmental research

• Funding and managing research by universities and other bodies in order to broaden environmental knowledge and monitor the state of the environment

Council for the Environment

• Policy advice to Minister

Financial assistance

• Granting financial assistance for the partial defrayment of expenses in the form of grants and contributions to bodies which have environmental conservation as objective

PROGRAMME 3: SEA FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

AIM

• To ensure the effective protection and sustained utilisation of the living resources and ecosystems of the sea

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

Administration

• Rendering specialised auxiliary, information and advisory services with regard to sea fishery matters, as prescribed by legislation, and executing related policy (Acts46 of 1973, 73 of 1980, 6 of 1981 and 12 of 1988)

Monitoring and assessment of living marine resources

• Provision of a scientific basis for the optimal utilisation of living marine resources and conservation of marine ecosystems (Acts 46 of 1973, 73 of 1980 and 12 of 1988) by:

Resource analyses to determine the level of harvested resources

Biological research to support the resource analyses

Research and monitoring of the fishery environment to determine the impact of natural processes on marine resources

• Conducting research aimed at the conservation of marine ecosystems

• Rendering support services

Protective measures

• Administration of legal and other protective measures

• Inspection services with regard to the utilisation of living marine resources by national and international exploiters

• Maintaining and operating an efficient fleet for the proper execution of patrol services

PROGRAMME 4: WEATHER BUREAU SERVICES

AIM

• To provide and ensure effective meteorological services

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

Administration

• Policy formulation, rendering administrative services and exercising control over precipitation research

Meteorological observations and communication

• Planning and maintaining an observation and communication network to establish a meteorological information service in support of research and maintenance of electronic systems and technical equipment

Weather forecasting

• Providing a central, regional, aeronautical and marine weather forecasting service

Precipitation research

• Applied research for precipitation and possible stimulation thereof

Supporting research

• Supporting research concerning instrumentation, climate, dynamic meteorology and numerical forecasting

Climatology

• Provision of a climatological information service and database

Training

• Departmental expenditure for training of meteorologists and technicians

PROGRAMME 5: PROMOTION OF TOURISM

AIM

• To promote and coordinate tourism to, and in the RSA

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

• Administration

• Implementation of initiatives for the promotion of tourism

• Grant-in-aid to the SA Tourism Board for the promotion of tourism to, and in the RSA (Act 72 of 1993)

• Subscriptions

Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) for the promotion of tourism from abroad to member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as the facilitation of tourist traffic between member countries

World Tourism Organisation (WTO) for the advancement and development of multilateral and international tourism

PROGRAMME 6: POLLUTION CONTROL

AIM

• To promote the pollution control policy

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

Management

• Promoting an integrated environment, controlling air pollution and managing environment quality

Integrated environmental pollution control

• Preventing and combating environmental pollution

Air pollution control

• Determining and monitoring noxious or offensive substances in the atmosphere and controlling processes responsible for such conditions

• Subsidising local authorities for smoke control officers

• Funding research organisations regarding the occurrence, prevention and methods of controlling air pollution

Financial assistance

• Granting financial assistance for the partial defrayment of expenses in the form of grants and contributions to bodies which have environmental conservation as objective

PROGRAMME 7: AUXILIARY AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES

AIM

• To render auxiliary services and services related to the aims of the department

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

Antarctic and Island research

• Administration regarding provision of the necessities of life, including base conveniences and transport equipment for the SA National Antarctic expeditions and expeditions to Marion and Gough Islands, recruitment, selection and appointment of expedition members for rendering support services on behalf of participating research bodies

• Participation in international proceedings as a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty

• Controlling the protection of sea birds and seals (Act 46 of 1973)

• Enforcement of the Act of SA Citizens in Antarctica, 1962 (Act 55 of 1962)

• Research by universities and other bodies regarding inter alia ionosphere and airglow, cosmic rays, geomagnetism and aurora, mammalogy, ornithology, plant ecology, geology, glaciology and geophysics, geodesy and electronic services in the Antarctic, the islands and Southern Ocean

Departmental sea transport

• Sea transport in support of research and for manning research/meteorological observation stations in the Antarctic and on Marion and Gough Islands

• Rendering sea transport to other institutions on a cost-recoverable basis

Combating oil pollution

• Administration of the Prevention and Combating of Pollution of the Sea by Oil Act, 1981 (Act 6 of 1981)

Government motor transport

• Purchasing vehicles for departmental use, as well as for allocation under the subsidised motor transport scheme

1999/2000 Budget: summary

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Budget

Programme 1998/99 1999/2000 Increase/ (Decrease) %

R’000 R’000 R’000

Administration 28 861 30 496 1 635 5.7

Environmental Management 117 812 121 810 3 998 3.4

Sea Fisheries Man + Dev 71 638 74 472 2 834 3.9

Weather Bureau Services 58 088 59 755 1 667 2.9

Promotion of Tourism 70 777 126 156 53 379 78.2

Pollution Control 12 803 14 390 1587 12.4

Auxillary and Assoc Services 38 383 38 940 557 1.5

19 841 20 428 587 3

Antartic and Island Research 8 754 8 913 159 1.8

Departmental Sea Transport 9 680 9 519 (161) (1.7)

Combating Oil Pollution 108 80 (28) (25.9)

Governmental Motor Transport

Less: Internal Charges 3150 3150 67 657 17.1

TOTAL 395 212 462 869

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