Provincial departments recently tabled their policy plans in their annual budget speeches for the 2019/20 financial year, which started in April.

Much is planned and promised in terms of infrastructure, especially in for the departments of health and education, the two which are allocated the bulk of the province’s total budget.

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Among other projects, the Department of Health is planning to start rolling out oncology services as of this month for the first time. Here is what some of the others are planning.

Premier’s Office

Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane said they will spend the next five years working very closely with business, labour and civil society to produce the kind of Mpumalanga that the people are yearning for.

She said there are officials in some centres who do not adhere to office hours. According to her, they report for duty later than the stipulated times and knock off during lunch hours or before knock-off time.

Mtshweni-Tsipane said these findings have been shared with executive management and accounting officers of departments, so that they could implement plans and remedy the situation.

Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs

The MEC for agriculture, Vusi Shongwe, said they supply produce to the following departments: education (schools), health (hospitals), safety security and liaison (Training College) and correctional services (prisons).

The province had transferred part of the government nutrition programme to MEGA as the implementing agent for health and education.

MEGA did not pay the suppliers, and this non-payment resulted in some schools not receiving their weekly supplies of fruit and vegetables.

Lowvelder previously reported in this matter and the suppliers are still not satisfied about being left in debt.

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Department of Finance

The Department of Finance’s speech states that non- and late payment of suppliers is an unacceptable anomaly, as it negatively impacts small businesses and slows down prospects for economic growth.

MEC Pat Ngomane said if services have been rendered, they must be paid for within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice.

The provincial treasury will lead the project of automating government business processes, starting this current financial year. For the 2019/20 MTEF, focus and attention will be on three financial systems.

Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport

MEC Gillion Mashego said for the 2019/20 financial year they will be implementing 254 projects on behalf of other departments. The Department of Health has 20 projects, 215 for the Department of Education, 12 for the Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation, five for the Department of Social Development and the parliamentary village.