Education gets R36bn of Gauteng’s budget

Gauteng Finance MEC Barbara Creecy presented the province's budget speech in the Gauteng Legislature. File photo: Dumisani Sibeko

Gauteng Finance MEC Barbara Creecy presented the province's budget speech in the Gauteng Legislature. File photo: Dumisani Sibeko

Published Mar 3, 2015

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Johannesburg - Gauteng has a budget of R95.3 billion for the next year, a bit less than promised but still up on last year.

Gauteng's section of the equitable share from national government – the main source of the provincial budgets – is down R500 million on what was expected for this year, said Gauteng Finance MEC Barbara Creecy during the province's budget speech in the Gauteng Legislature on Tuesday morning.

Creecy presented a provincial budget of R95.3 billion for 2015/16, up from the 2014/15 budget of R89.8bn.

This is based mainly on the equitable share from the national government of R73.5bn (R68.7bn previously) and conditional grants of R17.1bn (R16.9bn previously). Provincial revenue is R4.5bn (R4.3bn previously).

Education gets the biggest chunk at R36bn (compared to R32.8bn for 2014/15).

The Health budget is R34bn (R31.5bn for 2014/15), and includes R34m over three years to recapitalise the emergency services fleet.

Social Development gets R4bn (R3.5bn for 2014/15), which includes strengthening substance-abuse interventions.

“Let me make it quite clear that while we are talking about improving discipline in government spending, we are absolutely not talking about austerity measures,” said Creecy, promising that access to basic services would continue to expand to all.

She promised cuts in spending on administration fees by a quarter, on venues and facilities by 21 percent, catering by 9 percent, communication by 7 percent, travel and subsistence by 1.5 percent and advertising by 0.5 percent.

Much of the province's focus is on the five development corridors, and Gauteng intends to spend R10bn on these corridors in 2015/16.

There was a renewed promise to pay suppliers on time, using a new government Procurement Card.

There was no immediate relief on e-tolls, only a promise that there would be something on this in the province’s adjusted budget later in the year.

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The Star

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