FINANCE MEC Barbara Creecy tabled a R103,4-billion provincial budget at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, 8 March.
She outlined key interventions to achieve inclusive economic growth and expand quality services to support poor families in difficult economic times.
“Times are tough, but we have a plan to fund the implementation of Premier David Makhura’s bold programme of radical transformation, modernisation and re-industrialisation, she said.
Gauteng will spend R46,6 billion over the next three years to build roads, hospitals, clinics, schools and to maintain existing public property as it moves to address the infrastructure needs of citizens in the province. Major infrastructure allocations for this year are: Human Settlements (R5,2-bn), Education (R3-bn), Roads and Transport (R2,3-bn) and Health (R1,9- bn).
Government has been hard at work to unblock issues that prevented the private sector from investing in the development of public infrastructure. As a result, this intervention, an estimate of R10-bn in additional funds will be invested through public partnerships in the City Region over the coming years to develop infrastructure and grow the manufacturing sector.
The money that is collected by the provincial government through motor vehicle licence fees, patient fees, gambling taxes and interest from investments play an important role in the funding of key priorities.
“Therefore, we will intensify and be innovative in efforts to improve on own revenue collection to maintain provincial spending on social services for the poor,” said MEC Creecy.
She emphasised that education and health are the main priorities of government. The department of education remains the single largest budget item in the province. The budget of this department has increased from R36,43-bn to R39,06-bn in this financial year. It is followed by the department of health, which has been allocated R37,4-bn which represents an increase of R2,07-bn from the previous year.
As part of target interventions to grow the economy and reduce unemployment in Gauteng City Region, government is allocating R1,3-bn this year to the Department of Economic Development to drive economic development in the province.
Also read:
https://southerncourier.co.za/23245/tax-attack-overshadows-budget-plusses/
