Committee Annual Report 2005; Committee Budget 2006

Meeting report

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
29 March 2006
COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 2005; COMMITTEE BUDGET 2006
 

Committee Reports once adopted]

SUMMARY
The Committee noted with displeasure the R500 000 budget it had been given for 2006,saying that it was too little. The Committee planned for a meeting with a Chinese delegation on the following day. The Committee Annual Report for 2005 was not adopted.

MINUTES
Preparations for meeting with Chinese delegation
The Chair announced that the Committee would have lunch with the Chinese delegation at 12h30 that day. Their meeting with them the following day would move from the morning to 16h00. The Chair noted that he had tried to share the workload and he went through the schedule of speakers. Officials from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism would be present but would not be making a presentation although they were welcome to participate in any discussion that followed.

Mr D Olifant (ANC) noted his concern that there were not any women speakers in the Committee’s presentation.

Committee Annual Report 2005
The Chair said that the Committee would not be adopting the Annual Report today. He pointed out that they had received a draft report. The final report would be ready on the following day.

Committee Budget 2006
The Chair noted that R500 000 had been allocated to the Committee. This was not much and they would have to be careful and use it in effectively.

Several of the committee members were not happy about this figure.

Mr Olifant was displeased with the amount and said that there was little understanding of how much work this Committee was doing. The Committee should put more pressure on those deciding on the budget amount.

Ms C Zikala (IFP) agreed that the figure was too little and said that every time the Committee came with proposals, they were cancelled because of lack of money.

Meeting adjourned.