Tooley addresses LUBF on provincial budget

The Limpopo United Business Forum (LUBF) hosted an engagement session with the MEC for Provincial Treasury, Rob Tooley at Limpopo Guest Manor on Friday.
The purpose of the event was to inform members of the LUBF and guests about the province’s 2018/19 budget and matters related to business and the local economy in general.
Secretary of the LUBF, Abram Luruli, opened the proceedings and introduced the MEC, who used the budget speech that was delivered in the Limpopo Legislature recently, as a source document.
Tooley said that the scarcity of resources continues to pose risks to the economy of the country and specifically Limpopo, given the unlimited needs of the citizenry. “With limited resources available, departments and stakeholders are expected to deliver more with less and to meet different expectations of the communities,” Tooley said.
Tooley explained that the provincial government seeks to address the priorities outlined in the Limpopo Development Plan (LDP). “The priorities are to improve economic growth and reduce unemployment, to provide access to basic services, to develop infrastructure and maintain existing structures and to improve the quality of education and health services,” Tooley said and added that it is on this basis that the provincial government utilises the budget as a tool to plan, manage and control the scarce resources that are available.
Tooley said that the departments
of Education, with an allocation of
R30 607 772 000 and Health, with an allocation of R19 511 420 000 received the biggest chunk of the budget. He was very concerned about the fact that the cost for compensation of employees amounted to 70% of the expenditure budgeted for. “The question is whether we are getting value for money,” Tooley asked.
Tooley also aluded to the fact that the cost of medical services and supplies are alarmingly high. “Our health system became americanised. The focus is on profit,” Tooley reckoned.
In general, Tooley said that the South African Revenue Services (SARS) has under collected in the current financial year and that he is concerned about the fact that government had to borrow R180 billion to augment the deficit between income and expenditure and now has to pay huge amounts towards redemption and interest on loans.

Story and photos: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com