Question NW1612 to the Minister of Home Affairs
09 July 2021 - NW1612
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
In light of the fact that the total amount set aside for Professional Services in the 2021-22 Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) budget of the Government Printing Works has almost quadrupled from the previous year to R152 million and is increased by 7% and 5% in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 ENE budgets respectively, what (a) are the relevant details of the nature and types of the professional services budgeted for in this item and (b) projects are these professional services linked to?
Reply:
a) GPW acknowledges that professional fees have quadrupled on the ENE to R152 million. This is due to fact that is the previous financial year i.e. 2020/21, there was a reduction in the budget because during the total lock-down, there was no maintenance of machinery and equipment. Further, there was no production of ID and Passport during the same period. The budgeted professional fees pertain to payments made to the consultants for the maintenance and support on machinery GPW.
For this current financial year (2021/22), GPW will be procuring and assembling new machinery from Europe mainly Germany and France, as per the procurement plan. The budgeted professional fees will be for assembly and installation of these machines.
Professional services are budgeted for the refurbishment of the new headquarters building which is planned to be finalised by end of 2021/22 financial year, whereas the Masterplan’s completions spans over the MTSF period, hence the increase of 7% and 5% in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 ENE budgets respectively.
b) GPW has two key strategic projects that are provided for in its current Strategic Plan, namely the new Headquarters building and the Masterplan, which are both located in the Visagie Street precinct in Pretoria.
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