Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, says her department's budget allocation, which has increased from R6.8 billion to R6.9 billion for this financial year, will allow for the filling of critical vacant posts.

Pandor, who delivered her department's 2023/24 budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday, welcomed the 1% increase, which will be largely used for employee compensation.

According to the Minister, the department’s staff component went up 5% from R3 billion in the past financial year to R3.2 billion in 2023/24.

“The increase will allow the department to fill critical vacant positions. The goods and services budget increased by 4% to R2.5 billion in 2023/24. This welcome support will enhance our ability to implement our key programmes and improve the work of all our missions,” she told Parliament.

The Minister described the past financial year as “tumultuous” for international relations.

“We had thought COVID-19 had put us through the most difficult time, but the conflict in Europe has introduced more difficulties for all of us who work in international relations.”

However, despite challenges, she said the department continued its focus on core tasks.

These include strengthening bilateral relations, playing an influential role in multilateral institutions, providing services to citizens abroad and supporting government in achieving the objectives of inclusive growth, peace, and development in South Africa, Africa and the world.

“The past year has seen a significant expansion in the bilateral work of the Minister, the Deputy Ministers, and officials, as well as a very active international diary for President [Cyril] Ramaphosa.”

Pandor told Members of Parliament (MPs) that in the past year, the department mainly focused on economic diplomacy and missions.

“Our missions have been playing a leading role in assisting our government in all spheres in their international cooperation efforts. A specific area of progress has been to provide government and the presidency economic diplomacy assistance for growing foreign direct investment into South Africa.”

“We have made economic diplomacy a critical aspect of our mission work, and we are very pleased with the continuing interest many companies have shown in South Africa as an investment destination.”

She also held meetings with businesspeople in various countries and said many want to know more about South Africa and plan to establish new interests locally.

“The work all our teams have done has produced very positive results and will continue to do so. I wish to thank our embassy teams for some excellent work.”

Meanwhile, she said the past financial year continued government’s success in increasing foreign direct investment, mainly through the annual Presidential Investment Conference.

“We are pleased that our missions working closely in partnership with the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition, have succeeded in achieving the goal of R1.4 trillion in investment commitments. We will continue our support for this work.”

In addition, she told MPs that the world has become increasingly fractured and complex, while global relations are strained and divided from the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs).

“The most powerful economies are in a fractious trade conflict that threatens all the smaller economies.”

She said South Africa remains concerned about the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“The result has been increased economic risks for the most vulnerable, low growth levels in much of the globe, and neglect of those in the greatest need. Food inflation and high-energy prices have strained incomes and resulted in high debt costs and persistent uncertainty. This is not the world many hoped for when the Cold War ended.”

Meanwhile, she said negotiations are imperative for ending this terrible strife and urged all parties to pursue diplomacy.

Last year, she said the country concluded its term as chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Peace, Defence and Security.

South Africa led the efforts to activate and support the mission in Mozambique and engaged with Eswatini to encourage efforts to establish national unity in that country.

President Ramaphosa also concluded the SADC facilitation process in Lesotho and tabled his final report to the SADC Summit last August.

On the BRICS group of countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), she said the partnership has resulted in tangible benefits in many sectors.

She said the total with BRICS countries has increased from R487 billion in 2017 to R702 billion in 2021.

“We have received funding of over US$5 billion from the New Development Bank for key infrastructure projects in renewable energy, water, and other sectors.” – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency