South Africa: Committee On Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Adopts Its Budget Vote Report

press release

The Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment yesterday adopted its report on Budget Vote 32.

The report reviews the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment's (DFFE) 2025/26 to 2029/30 strategic plan, 2026/27 annual performance plans and Budget Vote 32.

The department has nine programmes: administration, regulatory compliance, oceans and coasts, climate change and air quality, biodiversity and conversation, biodiversity and conservation, environmental programme, chemicals and waste management, forestry management, and fisheries management.

The DFFE's budget for 2026/27 is R9.13 billion, a decrease of 3.5 % from the 2025/26 budget. The committee notes that the budget allocation is 0.34% of the national appropriation, the lowest since 2016/17.

The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Nqabisa Gantsho, expressed concern about the budget cut for the current financial year, saying it will have negative implications for the department's mandate. The committee told the department that part of its mandate is to ensure that the department and its entities achieve their proposed targets, despite the tight fiscal environment.

The department is committed to addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It is also committed to promoting sustainable economic development, job creation and good governance, which will be closely monitored by the committee.

The committee called for written submissions from the department on operational plans, compliance, and programme outcomes. It also called for submissions on poaching, flood relief, climate indicators and budget details, as well as a report on the outcomes of the ghost-worker assessment that was conducted in the department, in both Pretoria and Cape Town.

Read the original article on Parliament of South Africa.

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