PPS salaries 'nothing new'
"Parliament notes continued media interest in the strengthening capacity of the Parliamentary Protection Services (PPS) and the 2016/2017 budget of Parliament," the body said in a statement.
"These reports do not raise anything new. Parliament has also addressed media inquiries on these issues before and has nothing new to add. Parliament has provided overall details about strengthening the capacity of the PPS.
"Specific details about operational matters are, however, dealt with through internal processes, including discussions with the trade union,'' it said.
It says any complaints about Parliamentary staff matters should be raised in the "appropriate structures of Parliament, in the appropriate way".
The Sunday Times reports former police officers who have been recruited to join the PPS are set to earn R380 339 a year, salary grade C1. However, existing protection services personnel were graded as B1, being R241 155 a year.
The paper also reported the office of Parliament secretary Gengezi Mgidlana would possibly receive a 41% budget increase next year, equating to R30.4-million from the R21.5-million envisaged in the medium term budget last year.
The increase is according to the draft budget for next year, which is still being debated.
At the same time, Parliament's internal audit function could see its budget cut from R29.4-million to R14.1-million, a 52% drop, the newspaper reported.
Parliament said the report on specific proposed budget increases and decreases were "incorrect".
"Parliament has introduced a new way of planning and budgeting that appropriately aligns responsibility and accountability and that is results orientated," it said.
"It may be understandable that such measures are not clearly understood by all concerned. The budget allocation to Parliament as a whole has also not increased."
Parliament says its budget for next year will become a public document when Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene tables it in the National Assembly.
(File photo: Gallo Images)