The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Siphosezwe Masango, says more funding is required if the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) is to achieve the objective of promoting South Africa’s image abroad.
Mr Masango said the Committee understood the fiscus constraints and the Minister of Finance’s call to do more with less, but Dirco is the face of South Africa in Africa and the world. “The buzzword in government should be to market South Africa as a worthy investment destination. Only when people understand South Africa will they be keen to visit, invest and contribute to the economy,” Mr Masango said.
“South Africa needs to champion such programmes as Agenda2063 and the Southern African Development Community’s regional integration, and all those require adequate funding,” he said.
Dirco’s 2015 budget will be debated in Parliament on Thursday 21 May. The budget is slightly reduced from its 2013/14 allocation and the Committee has expressed its unease about this because Dirco’s budget is adversely affected by foreign exchange fluctuations.
“Reluctance to fund Dirco’s programmes could potentially result in reduced foreign direct investments, thereby compromising the country’s growth potential,” Mr Masango said.
Enquiries:
Sibongile Maputi
Tel: 021 403 8041
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
