The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation has committed to supporting a request for additional funding by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) during the mid-term budget process.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Mr Bheki Radebe, said the Committee acknowledged the challenge posed by a depreciating rand on the departmental budget. “The Committee supports additional funds for Dirco to mitigate risks associated with the rand’s depreciation on the department’s budget. It is important that Dirco’s programmes are not stalled on account of currency fluctuation,” said Mr Radebe.
“Parliament needs to ensure that the important programmes and projects of the department abroad are not compromised. But the Committee will in the process of asking for more funding, emphasise that Dirco’s resources are used sparingly,” he said.

The department highlighted the depreciating rand as its main budget challenge during a briefing to the Committee on quarter one expenditure. It revealed that currency fluctuation challenge was budgeted at R13 per dollar this year but the rand has since depreciated beyond that. The department indicated that the matter had been raised with National Treasury.

Mr Radebe urged all Members of the Committee to support Dirco’s request for an additional R750 million in the mid-term budget process.

 

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson, Mr Bheki Radebe