POLITICS

VIP Protection budget R1,716bn for 2021/22 - Bheki Cele

Increase mainly due to the baseline, for travel and subsistence for the programme

36/114/1(2021)

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR ORAL REPLY QUESTION 132

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 8 JUNE 2021 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21-2021)

132. Mr G Michalakis (Free State: DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

What are the reasons for the increase in the budget of the VIP Protection service?

C0449E

REPLY:

The budget allocation for the sub-programme VIP Protection, for the 2021/2022 financial year, amounts to R1,716 billion. The allocation of the sub-programme was adjusted during the 2020 Adjustment Estimate process, to R1,689 billion, for the total sub-programme, from the main budget allocation of R1,822 billion, in the 2020/2021 financial year.

The increase from the 2020/2021 financial year, to the 2021/2022 financial year, is mainly due to the baseline, for travel and subsistence for the programme, which was revised to a previous funding level, in the 2021/2022 financial year, adjusting the allocation to the same level of funding, as prior to COVID-19 restrictions on movement last year.

The uncertainties, due to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 Pandemic necessitated an upward adjustment for this year and had to be effected, should travel restrictions be lifted and foreign travel be allowed. The increase from last year, to the current year, allowed for the increase in the allocation for travel and subsistence, due to the downward adjustment last year, in the 2020 adjustments estimate, to R96,6 million, from the initial budget amount of R149,5 million for the programme in the main budget, for 2020/2021.

The budget for this purpose for the 201/2022 financial year, amounts to R144,9 million. Due to the aforementioned arrangement, the sub-programme: VIP Protection's baseline, for the current financial year, was adjusted to a previous funding level, essentially in respect of travel and subsistence expenditure.

Reply to question 132 recommended

Issued by Parliament, 18 June 2021