1996 - National Treasury

-4.5-
• allocations for the restitution of land rights
(R116 million) and land redistribution (R329 million);
i inclusion in the Constitutional Development vote of
a major initiative for the upgrading and extension of
municipal services (R750 million);
. inclusion in the Constitutional Development vote of
provision for a rural local government development
and democratisation RDP project (R200 million);
• a bridging allocation for infrastructure development
provided for in the RDP vote (R465 million);
• a decreased allocation to the export promotion
programme (R1,925 billion) which includes the
General Export Incentive Scheme now being phased
out, and increased allocations to more targeted
industrial development incentives (R535 million);
• a new public works employment programme
(R100 million);
• substantially increased spending on community
water supply and sanitation projects (R1,533 billion);
• a significantly increased allocation on the SA Police
budget for community policing (R4.222 billion); and
• a decrease of 5 per cent in the defence budget.
This year's Budget also includes several "cross-cutting" RDP
initiatives, in which project funds will be assigned to several
departments as part of specific coordinated projects. These
are to be provided for in the Adjustments Estimate, and
comprise:
• renewal of the criminal justice system, involving
Justice, Police and Correctional Services (R200
million);
• an integrated community infrastructure initiative,
including Police, Housing, Welfare, Health,
Education and Justice (R190 million); and
• a development programme for children and youth
(R60 million).
Annexure A in this Review provides a summary of each
departmental vote for 1995/96 and 1996/97, setting out the
main programme divisions broken down between current
and capital expenditure and current and capital transfers, as
they appear in the Printed Estimate ("White Book").
Table 5 in annexure B sets out the total expenditure to be
defrayed from the National Revenue Account in 1996/97
according to budget votes, together with revised estimates
for 1995/96. These 1995/96 estimates differ from those
which appear in annexure A and the "white book"
departmental votes, as drawings on improvements in
conditions of service are added to the respective votes and
funds carried over from 1994/95 and voted in the 1995/96
Adjustments Estimate are subtracted. Details of the
adjustments appear in annexure 6 of the Printed Estimate.
Brief remarks are made below on certain national budget
expenditure votes. It should be noted that appropriations for
improvements in conditions of service in 1996/97 are not
allocated to departments at this stage, so that the eventual
expenditure on departmental votes will exceed the amounts
budgeted. Growth rates in departmental or programme
allocations between 1995/96 and 1996/97, calculated on the
basis of the "revised estimates" described above,
accordingly understate the total increases in expenditure for
which the Budget makes provision, and do not correspond
with those reported in annexure A.
The budget votes of the President (R22 million), the
Executive Deputy President (R10 million), the Executive
Deputy President from the Largest Minority Party
(R13 million), the Central Economic Advisory Service
(R9 million), Public Enterprises (R35 million), Public Service
and Administration (R25 million), the Public Service
Commission (R112 million), the SA Communication Service
(R51 million) and Sport and Recreation (R47 million) are not
separately discussed below.
4.4.1 Vote 4: Parliament
The total estimated expenditure for 1996/97 on the budget
vote for Parliament is R344 million. Amounts forming a
direct charge on the National Revenue Account in terms of
the Payment of Members of Parliament Act (Act 6 of 1994)
come to R149 million.
A number of steps have been taken by Parliament to ensure
transparent, effective and accountable governance as well
as accessibility. Factors which have contributed to the
12 per cent increase in this vote include:
4.4.2
increased activities of standing committees;
increased international contact;
provision for maintaining communication with the
^provincial legislatures;
Parliament's public education programme;
human resources development for staff members;
and
replacement of obsolete equipment to improve
efficiency.
Vote 5: Agriculture
The national budget for Agriculture provides for expenditure
of R863 million, representing a reduction of 5,3 per cent on
the 1995/96 revised estimate.