His Excellency the President of our Republic; Honourable Speaker; Honourable
Members -

We rise in uncertain times, with the intractable conflict in the Middle East
foremost on our minds. I must thank His Excellency our President for his
balanced comments on this crisis which recognise that tragedy exists on both
sides.

Last year, from this podium, I made two points; one of which I warned I would
repeat until action is taken. Honourable Speaker, we are again debating the
Presidency's budget without having had the benefit of scrutinising it in a
parliamentary oversight committee.

In the case of every Government Department, the budget is pored over and
questioned before we come here to express our agreement or disapproval. Yet when
it comes to the Presidency, we rise in this House with limited capacity to
debate what is being spent, where it is being spent and how it is being spent.

There is clear need to interrogate certain aspects of this budget. Why, for
instance, has the allocation for travel and subsistence grown by an astounding
19.4% over the past 3 years? Last year, I raised concerns over the allocation of
67,3 million Rand to travel and subsistence. Somehow, in the revised estimate,
that figure grew to 101,4 million!

Despite intentions to drop this growth by some 14% over the next 3 years, travel
and subsistence would still be increasing as a percentage of the total budget.

Is all this travelling necessary? Could smaller delegations be sent? Are we
achieving our national objectives on each international trip?

These are questions for an oversight committee, to be answered by the Director
General in the Presidency. But we are forced to pose them to the President, in
this House. That is neither fair to the President, nor in the interests of our
own work.

My second point last year unfortunately also remains relevant, and is an
accelerating concern. Government spends more than it receives, while borrowing,
interest costs, debt - and servicing debt - continue to erode our fiscal space.

In seventeen of our current budget votes, the 2014/2015 medium term expenditure
estimate is not expected to keep pace with the forecast 6.2% rate of inflation.
And since last week, that forecast may need to be revised.

So the question remains: what will be neglected? Which programmes will face
budget cuts?

Unless we take the necessary tough measures to grow our economy and protect it,
particularly against corruption, we will soon look at budget allocations and
simply sigh that "The road to hell is paved with good intentions".

We welcome the positioning of the Ministry of Women within the Presidency,
following the poor performance of its predecessor, the composite Department. For
the sake of South Africa's women, this Ministry's performance cannot go the way
of the NYDA, which we still maintain should fall under a dedicated Youth
Ministry. Our women, and our youth, deserve better.

Issued by the IFP