Media release

Budget Votes enable Government accountability

03 June 2013

3 June 2013

Government commends all departments for proactively organizing and implementing pre Budget Vote communications to key stakeholders including communities and members of the media.

These included, media briefings, meeting with key stakeholders, direct engagements with members of the public and exhibitions. This information-sharing process enables government to articulate key programmes for the coming year and demonstrates government’s commitment to serving the needs of South African public through concrete and measurable objectives.

A budget vote is a democratic principle in the Constitution that ensures that Government can only spend money if it has first been approved by Parliament. It highlights and prioritises activities that will be embarked upon in the financial year ahead. The Departments have notably aligned the budget votes to the National Development Plan.

Acting GCIS CEO, Phumla Williams said, “The relationship between government and citizens is very important. Ultimately, government is accountable to citizens for decisions taken at all spheres of government. We have a clear planning and implementation cycle emanating from the tone set by the President each year in the State of the Nation address.”

“Ministers and their deputies have hosted regular media briefings before and after their budget votes to ensure that each citizen is aware of the government’s plan to improve their lives,” said Williams.

These engagements created an opportunity for interactions between government and stakeholders to communicate information which enables citizens to exercise their democratic right to hold government accountable.

Enquiries:
Phumla Williams
Cell: 083 501 0139

Issued by: Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)

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