DA Budget 'would save SA billions'

DA leader Helen Zille said other policy recommendations include increasing the number of police by 20000 a year until the 2011-2012 financial year, increasing the number of detectives, state prosecutors and medical professionals in state institutions, and cutting the government wage bill by 15% on non-operational staff.

DA MP Deon George said his party would dispense with government departments such as those of performance monitoring and evaluation; economic development; and women, children, youth and people with disabilities, and with the National Planning Commission.

"These new departments have used almost R60-million in taxpayer funds, though nothing concrete has been produced by any of them," George said.

The DA would allocate R5-billion to a range of programmes to give skills to young South Africans.

They would scrap the sectoral education and training authorities (Setas), reinstate the police narcotics bureau and implement an IT system geared for real-time crime data.

A dedicated helpline for rape survivors would be established. Cheaper antiretroviral drugs would be sought.

"We estimate that South Africa is paying 30% more than it needs to for some ARVs. We would aim to save 20% on the R3.6-billion tender awarded last June, saving R700-million," George said.

Slashing expenditure on VIP security, and on exuberant spending on luxury cars, are also in the DA Budget.