Treasury MEC allocates budget of R21.6 billion
The bulk of the 2024/5 provincial budget, 48.2%, will go towards education as part of the province’s commitment to continue funding programmes that are essential in the improvement of learners’ performance across all grades.
This was announced by Treasury MEC Seaparo Sekoati during his budget speech on Tuesday, March 5. He said the total budget amounts to R21.6 billion and will go towards infrastructure development and service delivery. Sekoati said that in preparing and finalising the 2024/25 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), all departmental infrastructure plans were used to inform the final allocation.
He announced that the provincial infrastructure budget will be R7.8 billion, representing an increase of 6.1% compared to the 2023/24 financial year. “The Department of Education will receive R1.623 billion through the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) which includes maintenance of early childhood development (ECD) centres and priority projects for storm-damaged schools. “The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will receive R206 million.
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“The Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) will receive R25 million for the refurbishment of state resorts as part of the provincial priorities budget,” he said. He added that the Department of Health will receive R848.2 million, the Department of Transport and Community Safety will receive R62.6 million also for provincial priority projects.
“The Department of Public Works, Roads, and Infrastructure will receive R3.7 billion, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will receive R243.5 million and includes R200 million for construction of the provincial theatre. “COGHSTA will receive R1.1 billion representing a negative growth of 17.4% from the 2023/24 financial year and the Department of Social Development will receive R20.3 million,” he added.
