Pretoria – Government says reports that imply the new cabinet will cost taxpayers an additional R40 million a year are “mischievous and misleading”.
According to certain media reports, the figure of R40 million emanates from Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s parliamentary reply this week.
“The unacceptable inaccurate reporting is a complete distortion of what the minister explained,” said Acting Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) CEO, Phumla Williams, in a statement on Friday.
“I find the reporting misleading as the minister did not mix his words when he said the money would come from existing budgets, 'mostly through expenditure reprioritisation'. This is by no means a suggestion of an extra burden from the taxpayers,” she said.
The cabinet restructuring as outlined by President Jacob Zuma is aimed at ensuring that the state operates efficiently and at its optimal level to deliver on government priorities and enhancing service delivery.
“The budget votes that will soon be presented in Parliament will provide a clear picture of how the government departments will deliver on their mandates,” Acting CEO Williams said.
President Zuma announced his new Cabinet in May.
He created a new Ministry for Telecommunications and Postal Services to ensure the country derives more value out of the telecommunications industry and postal sector.
A new Communications Ministry was established for overarching communication policy and strategy, information dissemination and publicity and the branding of the country abroad.
He also established a Ministry of Water and Sanitation and a Ministry for Small Business Development. – SAnews.gov.za
