Premier delivered by Premier Nosimo Balindlela, Eastern Cape Legislature
4 March 2007
Honourable speaker
Honourable Members of this House
Members of the Executive Council
People of the Eastern Cape
Comrades and friends
It is an honour for me to stand before you and give an account of the
programmes and budget allocated to my department. Madam Speaker, the Office of
the Premier has the ultimate responsibility of providing overall strategic
direction and upholding good governance principles. The provincial
administration has committed itself to the implementation of the Provincial
Growth and Development Plan (PGDP) that seeks to eradicate poverty within our
communities. This demands strong leadership and the appropriate management
tools for effective corporate.
It assists departments' governance. Madam Speaker, this Office is at the
centre of government work to deliver on the government programmes of action. We
aim to oil the machinery that will accelerate service delivery to the poor.
Madam Speaker, at this mid-point in the electoral term, our focus remains
steadfast on poverty alleviation and hands-on support to local government, so
that people can access services closest to where they live.
We have streamlined our organisational structure, from six programmes to
three programmes to strengthen governance. A core shift in the new financial
year is that the Shared Internal Audit Service will migrate to Provincial
Treasury to create synergy in financial management. Madam Speaker, I would now
like to address the three programmes in my Office in more detail.
Programme 1:
Administration
This new programme has been established to ensure that my office functions
as a learning and best practice organisation. The primary function is to
provide co-ordinated support to the Executing Authority, the Provincial
Executive Council and the Provincial Administration. The secondary function is
to enable internal organisational coherence within the regulatory compliance
framework.
This programme will achieve its core mandate, utilising a budget allocation
of R59 540 000 inclusive of the following six sub-programmes.
Sub programme 1.2:
Premier's core staff using a budget of R17 192 000 this office provides
executive support to the Premier as well as advises on political
programmes.
It will continue to support intervention initiatives through the
discretionary fund which is aimed at our poor families, students and small
economic enterprises.
Sub programme 1.3:
Director-General's Office with a budget of R3 521 000 the strategic priority
of this sub-programme is to provide administrative leadership of my office and
of the provincial administration.
Sub programme 1.4:
Cabinet secretariat
Utilising R2 235 000 Cabinet Secretariat provides administrative and
secretariat support to the Provincial Executive Council, Cabinet committees and
the top management collective of heads of provincial departments. It serves as
an Executive Council instrument to monitor resolutions and implementation
whilst providing feedback to Executive Council from communities after the
Outreach.
Sub programme 1.5:
Internal human resource management
A budget of R18 734 000 has been allocated to this sub-programme to ensure
effective human resource management practices in my office. Its focus in
2007/08 will be on the implementation of the Attraction and Retention Strategy.
This programme will also focus on the Staff Wellness Programme as well as the
Performance Management and Development Systems at all levels.
Sub programme 1.6:
Financial, supply chain and risk management
The budget allocated for this sub-programme is R17 858 000. We will ensure
that we give meaning to the principles of Preferential Procurement Policy to
support emerging suppliers. We will pay more attention to internal and external
risk management issues in order to strengthen our control measures.
Programme 2:
Institution building and transformation
This branch deals with issues that build the institutional capacity so as to
realise organisational capability. It focuses on strengthening provincial
corporate governance. This programme has been allocated a total amount of R164
827 000 for the 2007/08 financial year. Following are sub-units under this
programme
Sub programme 2.2:
Transversal organisational development and consultancy services (TODCOS)
This unit has been allocated a sum of R61 584 000. Its role is to provide
strategic direction and best practice and also rendering consultancy and
specialist services to provincial departments. It focuses on developing and
implementing human resource management policies and strategies and implementing
change management programmes that lead to public sector transformation.
As part of our strategies to strengthen coordination of targeted skills
interventions, we have customised the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills
Acquisition (JIPSA) for the Eastern Cape. The province has also been allocated
R99 000 from the National Skills Fund to provide our youth with work based
training experience in various projects across the province. (This booklet will
outline all the projects). The project will run over a period of three years.
The coaching programme that was piloted with the 15 top managers has brought a
new dimension to leadership development. This programme is aimed at
strengthening leadership and management capability. It will be broadened to
include other senior managers this year.
Sub programme 2.3:
Shared legal services
This sub programme has been allocated a sum of R16 011 to provide legal
advisory support services to provincial government departments. All existing
legislation will be reviewed and rationalised, and subordinate legislation will
be audited. Legislation is being made more accessible to all citizens of the
province; by making it available in digital format, translating it into various
languages and distributing it to Multi-Purpose Community and Youth Centres as
well as any other public institutions.
In addition, the Shared Legal Services will audit, monitor and evaluate the
contracts and Service Level Agreements. This is aimed at establishing sound
contract management processes and minimising risks in provincial departments
and public entities.
Sub programme 2.4
Communication services
This programme has been allocated a sum of R14 888 000. It focuses on the
developmental nature of communication, providing logistical arrangements for
Izimbizo and the Provincial Executive Council outreach, providing follow up to
the respective departments so that government can implement the programmes
promised to the people. It also provides a customer care service to assist in
the Batho Pele principles.
Sub programme 2.5
Information Communication Technology Management
This sub-programme has been given a sum of R66 718 000. It provides
knowledge management service through an interactive website where people can
access government speeches, tender documents and other relevant government
information.
Sub programme 2.6
Anti-corruption and provincial security
Madam Speaker, my office is also responsible for co-ordinating security in
the province and has been allocated a sum of R3 081 000. The core existence of
this unit is to provide a secure and safe work environment inline with
legislation. We will assist departments in determining the required
institutional capacity and response plans to mitigate against the identified
risks and to establish the minimum anti-corruption capacity. A Provincial Code
of Ethics is also being developed and will soon be operational.
Programme 3:
Policy and governance
Honourable Speaker, let me address Programme 3. This programme aims to
facilitate and co-ordinate integrated provincial policies and planning and
evaluate the impact thereof. It has been allocated R87 445 000 to achieve this
mandate. We are determined to build on the progress and momentum of the past
two years. This programme consists of the following sub programmes:
Sub programme 3.2
Provincial policy planning, monitoring and Evaluation
This sub programme consists of two units namely the Policy and Planning Unit
and the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and has a budget of R74 310 000. These
aspects will culminate in the overall improvement in government's performance
and service delivery, especially to the poor and vulnerable groups in the
province.
The period of the electoral mandate of government has reached a halfway
point, and that heralds a moment for introspection. The proposed mid-term
assessment is intended to afford government and the citizens of the province an
opportunity to reflect on the impact made by government policies in reversing
the frontiers of poverty and in ushering in a better life for the people:
* ensure that government makes a bigger impact on the daily lives of the
people
*·ensure that government becomes more effective, more focused on spearheading
development and delivery, in a user-friendly manner.
In driving policy alignment between the provincial and local sphere the Unit
has lead the recently conducted Integrated Development Plan (IDP) engagement
process, in partnership with the department of Housing, Local Government and
Traditional Affairs. This has taken place within all District municipalities.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Unit will develop, co-ordinate and monitor the
impact of provincial macro policies and strategies. Unemployed graduates,
retirees and veterans are being appointed for a period of six months to assist
in monitoring performance to identify successes and challenges being
experienced at ward level. These monitors will work hand in glove with the Ward
councillors, Service Delivery Monitors, community liaison officers, and
Community Development Workers to improve service delivery projects and
programmes.
Sub programme 3.3
Inter-Governmental Relations
This Unit promotes co-operative and seamless governance across all spheres,
and has an allocation of R3 846 000. The Eastern Cape Local Government
Strategic Agenda (2006-2011) is an overarching plan that outlines priorities
for the next five years. My office exercises oversight and coordinates
provincial support to local government so as to improve service delivery at the
local level through the Premier's Co-ordinating Forum. This ensures coherence
with foreign policy and trade objectives. Strengthening inter-sphere
co-ordination and governance will be given more attention in the coming
financial year and over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)
period.
The importance of strengthening local decision making processes by ensuring
participation by community members in the planning and implementation of
development initiatives, is a key theme in the PGDP. Over the next year we will
undertake a Local Decision Making pilot Project in at least three villages in
the province.
The province has made considerable input to this African Peer Review
Mechanism (APRM) as part of the development of the continent process. The
international Eminent Persons Group has responded with our Country Review
Report. In the coming financial year the focus will be on the implementation of
those aspects of the programme of action.
Sub programme 3.4
Special programmes
This Unit facilitates effective implementation of constitutional mandates
with regard to gender, children, elderly and disability and has been allocated
a sum of R7 101 000. In support of this, the sub programme aims to:
* develop the provincial older persons and children's policies
* launch the provincial forum for older persons; and track economic empowerment
projects which are being offered for older persons
* empower disabled people to participate in economic activity
Madam Speaker, in the forthcoming year we will be strengthening the focus
and strategic effectiveness of the Eastern Cape Youth Commission, Eastern Cape
Appropriate Technology Unit and the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative
Council. This is to ensure that these public entities perform their functions
in support of the developmental state, with a specific focus on accelerating
the Provincial Growth Development Plan (PGDP) and Accelerated and Shared Growth
Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA) in the province.
Eastern Cape Youth Commission
With a budget allocation of R9 788 000 the Eastern Cape Youth Commission
(ECYC) will focus on areas such as education, HIV and AIDS, crime and 2010
beneficiation for youth as well as the National Youth Service Programme.
Eastern Cape Socio Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC) with a budget of
R32 416 000 ECSECC is both an advisory body that provides decision support to
provincial government as well as a social compacting body that facilitates
development partnerships around a defined strategic agenda.
The Policy Research and Information Programme aims primarily at facilitating
the development of sector strategies in support of PGDP growth and employment
targets. The focus will be to finalise the Provincial Industrial Strategy, and
to facilitate sector summits to leverage public and private investment and
address constraints in labour absorbing sectors where we have competitive
advantage.
The Developmental Local Government Support Programme focuses primarily on
strengthening Integrated Developmental Plans and enhancing their alignment to
the PGDP. A key thrust for 2007/08 will be on integrating District Growth and
Development summits outcomes into IDPs and the PGDP.
The Strategic Planning and Development Facilitation Programme aims to build
the capacity of ECSECC's partners to implement the PGDP. Key initiatives
planned for 2007/08 include post GDS stakeholder management in the various
district municipalities, as well as long range capacity building initiatives
such as knowledge and progress, aimed at the local sphere of government.
Eastern Cape Appropriate Technology Unit (ECATU)
The ECATU focus will be to support strategic frameworks such as PGDP, IDPs,
EPWP and to improve operational efficiencies. In deploying its R11 327 000
budget allocation, focus will be on improving research intelligence to
facilitate the links between the needs of the poor and the technology solutions
proposed by ECATU.
Madam Speaker,
In conclusion, I remain focused on the development guideline in the
manifesto for this electoral period. My vision for the performance of my office
and the rest of the provincial administration is our commitment and promise to
push back the frontiers of poverty. We are hard at work to reduce the gap
between the first and the second economy in the structure of the economy.
Accordingly, the Annual Performance Plan of my office for the 2007/08 financial
year has taken cue from and interpreted this developmental mandate. I believe
that in the past few years and going forward we have put policies in place and
guided the rest of government towards this noble and important goal. With the
support that has been afforded to me, I will continue to practice resource
stewardship with integrity.
I commit my department to the realisation of outcomes entailed in this
Annual Performance Plan which includes the Service Delivery Improvement Plan. I
hereby table the Policy and Budget Speech for 2007/08.
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
4 March 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
