06 Mar 2019

Nationality, immigration and gender affairs minister, Mr Ngaka Ngaka, has requested Parliament to authorise allocation of over P503.9 million for the ministry.

Presenting budget proposals for the ministry on March 5, the minister said the amount comprised P386.5 million as recurrent budget and over P117.3 million for the development budget.

The recurrent budget, he said, represented a decrease of about P7.5 million from the budget provision for the 2018/19 financial year, which he noted was a result of the overtime allowances for the ministry not being included in the proposals for the coming financial year.

Of the total, Mr Ngaka proposed that over P68 million be allocated to ministry headquarters, marking an increase of about P10.9 million which would cater for service charges.

For the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, he proposed P193.1 million, which represented a decrease of about P20.7 million from the allocation for the 2018/19 financial year.

He said the decrease was due to the non-inclusion of overtime allowances for staff for the next financial year.

For the Gender Affairs Department, the minister proposed an allocation of P54.8 million, a P107 000 decrease from the allocations for the current financial year.

Further, he requested for a total of P70.5 million for the Department of Civil and National Registration, with an increase of P2.3 million from the previous allocation, saying the increase would cater for payment of utilities.

As for the development budget, Minister Ngaka stated that the proposal represented an 88 per cent increase from that of the current financial year, and explained that the increase would cater for computerisation projects at P26.7 million, consultancy projects at P636 000 and ministry facilities at P90 million.

On the work of the ministry, Mr Ngaka observed that a number of reforms had been introduced to promote and sustain an attractive investment climate in the country.

Among them, he cited the decentralisation of VISA processing to embassies and high commissions, the issuance of VISA at ports of entry, and the automatic granting of VISA to applicants who had been given work and residence permits.

He further indicated that in recognition of the need to strengthen women’s participation in the mainstream economy, government had, through the Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme assisted 3 725 individuals.

He said of the 1 074 businesses that had been funded since the inception of the programme, 946 were operational while 128 had collapsed.

On gender-based violence, he said the ministry had adopted an integrated approach to combating the ill which had proven to be a major challenge in the country.

He said 6 716 cases having been reported between January and December 2018, government was continuing to put in place measures and mechanisms to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

Giving progress updates on the implementation of projects during the 2018/19 financial year, he said the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) project had started, adding that the ministry had completed requirements for installation for the Public Key Directory (PKD) with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

He added that the ministry would commence automation of the remaining seven ports of entry of Mabolwe, Dobe, Two Rivers, Makopong, Paarshalt, Zanzibar and Bokspits during the next financial year. ENDS