Gauteng budget increases to R112bn

The total budget for the Gauteng provincial government has been adjusted from R108-billion‚ presented in March‚ to R112-billion for the 2017/18 financial year.

This was revealed in the Gauteng Medium Term Budget Policy Statement presented by finance MEC Barbara Creecy in the provincial legislature on Thursday.

The biggest recipients of the additional allocations in the budget are the departments of health‚ education‚ infrastructure development‚ transport and e-governance.

Creecy said the Gauteng department of health presented a major risk to the public purse. Therefore‚ the department was allocated R1.23-billion in the adjustment to assist with spending pressures on goods‚ services and personnel.

“We remain deeply concerned about the extent of the medico legal liability facing [the department of] health and the threat this poses to the budget for essential health services‚” she said.

Provincial treasury allocated R942.6-million to education to prepare for the new school year in January. This amount includes R138.5-million for electricity bills and R150-million for teacher salaries due to the growth in learner numbers.

A total of R100-million was allocated to the department of e-government to fast-track connectivity for the Gauteng Broadband Network.

Creecy said‚ despite sluggish economic growth‚ the province has managed to increase its revenue collection from R4.9-billion in 2014/15 to R5.8-bilion in 2016/17. This represents a 16% increase over the past three years.

The infrastructure budget for the province was adjusted from R10.9-billion to R12.2-billion.

-The office of the premier received a total of R24.6-million to deal with budget pressures.

-Social development was allocated R16.9-milion towards subsidies for caregivers to ensure parity among all.

-Community safety received R27.5-million of which R9-million is allocated to road safety awareness campaigns over the festive season and R8.5-million will be used to install number plate recognition equipment in the vehicles of traffic officers.

-Roads and transport received R159.2-million for in-year budget pressures in goods and services.

-Agriculture and rural development received R18.8-million towards infrastructure upgrades and maintenance.

-The department of infrastructure development received R201.1-million of which R16.7-million is to help meet occupational health and safety requirements and R188.3-million for the refurbishment and maintenance of provincial buildings.