Parliament received a preview of the Department of Communications` expected budget appropriations on Friday, which will see its overall budget decrease sharply in the coming year.
Department officials say the budget would probably fall to R875 million in the next financial year from the current R1.6 billion as the R750 million transferred to the Post Bank has been completed. The Post Bank has now been incorporated as part of the Post Office.
Another R20 million has been allocated to the 112 emergency call centre under capital assets after being part of the transfers in the previous financial year.
The revised estimate for the department`s budget for the 2003/04 financial year will drop slightly to R1.634 billion from the adjusted appropriation of R1.645 billion.
Details of department transfer payments show that the Universal Service Agency, the body responsible for ensuring that underserviced areas are connected to the telecommunications grid, will receive R15.884 million in the 2004/05 financial year compared with R14.211 million in the 2003/04 year.
The Advanced Institute for ICT will gain R13 million in the coming financial year compared with R11 million before.
The ISETT Sector Education and Training Authority will receive R2.3 million in the 2004/05 year; and R2 million will be allocated for the funding of multi-purpose community centres.
The SA Post Office subsidy will fall to R300 million compared with R1.050 billion allocated in the 2003/04 financial year.
Other SA Post Office-specific projects such as the Public Internet Terminals and the extension services will be raised to R10 million and R8.5 million from the previous R8.48 million and R7.95 million respectively.
Transfer payments to the South African Broadcasting Corporation will be R47.4 million in the 2004/05 financial year compared with R44.7 million previously.
The external broadcasting service, Channel Africa, will receive R27.8 million as opposed to R26.288 million, and community radio stations will see their transfer rise to R9.5 million from R9 million.
The National Electronic Media Institute of SA will see its payments increase to R16.878 million from R15.153 million.
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