Finance and Economic Opportunities
(a) (i) What position does a certain person, whose name has been furnished to her Department for the purpose of the reply, hold in her Department and (ii) who is this person’s direct supervisor, (b) what are the details of the official trips this person has gone on in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2022 and (v) 2023 to date, (c) what is the detailed breakdown of the (i) cities and (ii) countries visited, (d) who formed part of the provincial government’s delegation on each trip, including staff members from other departments, and (e)(i) what was this persons role in each visit and (ii) for what reasons was this person part of the delegations?
- (i) Director: Provincial Government Budget Office (ii) Chief Director: Public Policy Services
- (i) 2019: None (ii) 2020: None (iii) 2021: None (iv)2022: None (v) 2023: Preparatory engagement for the 11th Regional Leaders’ Summit (RLS) that took place from 18 until 21 June 2023 in Jinan, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Energy Resilience Engagements that took place from 22 June until 24 June 2023 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- China: Shandong, Jinan and UAE: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- China: Head of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports (Head of the Delegation); Head of the Department of Agriculture; Director, Provincial Government Budget Office, Provincial Treasury; Deputy Director: International Relations, Department of the Premier; and Deputy Director Provincial Government Budget Office, Provincial Treasury.
UAE: Director General, Department of the Premier (Head of the Delegation), Head of Department of Economic Development and Tourism; Special Advisor on Energy, Office of the Premier; Director Provincial Government Budget Office, Provincial Treasury; Deputy Director: International Relations, Department of the Premier and Deputy Director Provincial Government Budget Office Provincial Treasury.
- China: (i) The official, on behalf of the Western Cape Government, conducted a detailed presentation on the key economic and socio-economic trends of the Western Cape, the policy priorities of the Western Cape Government cutting across the areas of Safety, Wellbeing and with a particular focus on Growth for Jobs and the Western Cape Government’s Energy response (given the focus of the summit being on “Green Development & Low-carbon life”) as well as highlighting areas for partnering and further collaboration. The official also drafted the various speeches for the delegation as the programme progressively, related to the Western Cape Government’s budget policy, comparative and competitive advantages and areas for further collaboration.
UAE: (i) The official, on behalf of the Western Cape Government, was responsible for providing an overview of the Western Cape Government’s Growth for Jobs Strategy, our related budget policy response and its link to our energy priority, particularly highlighting the Western Cape Government’s fiscal commitment over the 2023 MTEF toward giving effect to the Energy Resilience Programme (see further detail in the 2023 Overview of Provincial Revenue and Expenditure). In addition, the official was responsible for explaining the nature of budget commitments related to the Energy Resilience Programme, outlining policy initiatives that encourage partnering in Energy given our fiscal context, and identifying areas for collaboration in the Energy Resilience Programme.
(ii) The Director Provincial Government Budget Office is responsible for economic-, policy- and budget-related matters which includes the formulation of provincial budget policy, to ultimately recommend budget allocations in line with the strategic priorities of the Western Cape Government. This role includes being the Growth for Jobs Policy lead which involves steering and supporting the Western Cape Government, to effectively develop, implement and budget for related policy priorities. The Energy Resilience Programme is a key priority within Growth for Jobs and therefore managing, directing and overseeing the budget implementation of the Energy Resilience Programme forms part of key responsibilities. Given this position, the Director Provincial Government Budget Office is equipped to effectively and strategically engage at an international level on the policy directive of the Western Cape Government, areas of opportunity for greater partnering and given the role of Growth for Jobs Policy lead and as the budget policy lead in the Provincial Treasury on the Western Cape’s Energy response, cement areas for partnerships with key stakeholders to successfully drive service delivery in the Western Cape. Furthermore, given that the Western Cape will be hosting the 12th RLS, understanding the preparatory process, programme, areas to influence the programme (the objective is to further drive the Growth for Jobs agenda as part of the 12th RLS) and likely budgetary implications thereof, became a key factor in decision-making.
