Question NW689 to the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
11 April 2016 - NW689
Bhanga, Mr BM to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
(a) What are the reasons for the 94, 2% increase in consultants fees for the South Africa Connect project over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, (b) why is most of the expenditure expected in the final year of the project, (c) what are the full details of the process by which the specified consultants services will be procured and (d) when is procurement due to start?
Reply:
I have been advised by the Department as follows:-
(a) The funds reflected under the Consultants: Business and advisory services line item are not funds that will be used to procure consultancy services. National Treasury allocated Phase 1 roll-out funding under the Economic classification (Goods and Services: Consultants: Business and advisory services) line item. These funds will be used to procure connectivity services for the facilities targeted for the Phase 1 roll-out over the MTEF period.
The increase in the allocation is due to additional funds that National Treasury allocated towards the SA Connect Phase 1 implementation.
(b) Additional funding was allocated by National Treasury in 2017/18 and 2018/19 as it was envisaged that lessons learnt from the Phase 1 pilot will allow for a ramp up of the project in the outer years. This funding is in addition to the partial funding that was allocated for the Phase 1 roll-out during the 2014 MTEF allocation period, covering the 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 financial years.
(c) There will not be any consultants procured using the funds allocated for the roll-out.
(d) Refer to (c)