Finance Tito Mboweni has announced that government will over the next three years allocate R213.4 billion to ensure the safety of the country through an efficient and effective criminal justice system.
The function accounts for 12.1 percent of consolidated expenditure, declining from R218.6 billion in 2020/21 to R213.4 billion in 2023/24.
“Most departments in this function are labour intensive, which means that spending reductions primarily affect personnel. This requires rationalising organisational structures to avoid compromising frontline services and operations. Over the medium term, compensation of employees decreases by R64.7 billion, implying a reduction in personnel,” National Treasury said in the Budget Review.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is allocated R1.8 billion over the medium term to improve business processes.
Through the Justice Modernisation Programme, the department aims to develop electronic systems to improve service delivery. Various court administration processes will be provided online.
A further R105 million is set aside for the Information Regulator to appoint 54 new personnel to enforce compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (2013) and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (2000).
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently assented to the Border Management Authority Act (2020), which establishes the Border Management Authority as a public entity.
Treasury said the entity will cooperate and coordinate border law enforcement functions with other organs of state and border communities, among other functions.
A total of R124.9 million is allocated over the medium term to operationalise this entity. Border safeguarding efforts will be bolstered by R3.6 billion in the Department of Defence’s baseline over the medium term. – SAnews.gov.za
