Madam Chair, the UPSA supports and commends the hon Minister's Finance Bill. The success of the hon Minister and his department has become a cornerstone of government's achievements, of late.
Die sukses en effektiewe fiskale dissipline gehandhaaf deur die Departement van Finansies is alombekend. Die agb Minister het heelwat politieke wil openbaar met sy toegewing ten opsigte van fondse vir die uitbreiding van die getal polisielede, asook aanpassing van salarisse vir onderwysers.
Die UPSA is egter van mening dat hierdie stappe, alhoewel welkom, nie naastenby die probleme van misdaadoplossing en verbeterde onderwys aanspreek nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The success and effective fiscal discipline maintained by the Department of Finance is widely recognised. The hon Minister displayed a great deal of political will with his concession with regard to funds for the increase in the number of members in the Police Service, as well as adjustments to teachers' salaries.
However, the UPSA is of the opinion that these steps, although welcome, do not adequately deal with the problems of solving crime and of improving education.]
The UPSA is of the opinion that greater emphasis should have been put on the improvement of the competency levels of serving SAPS members and teachers. This would culminate in SAPS members who are better equipped to deal with criminals, and deliver the required levels of service to the general public. So, too, should teachers face up to the challenges in our schools. This action would be further justified by the handsome surplus announced.
The principle of greater emphasis on the training of serving public servants should be extended to almost all areas of the public sector to improve the general level of service delivery. We trust that this matter of training serving public servants will continue to enjoy the hon Minister's attention.
Once more, the UPSA supports the Bill. I thank you.