MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay will benefit from the R60m to be made available in the Western Cape provincial budget for the upgrading of informal settlements.
This transpired on Tuesday when the Provincial Minister of Finance, Dr Ivan Meyer shared information on the provincial budget of R63 billion in the Western Cape with key stakeholders in the Eden Region when he visited Mossel Bay.
The Eden District
The Eden District will receive R5.598 billion from the provincial budget in 2018/19.
Within the Eden District, R2bn will be spent in George, followed by Oudtshoorn (R831m) and Mossel Bay (R678m). Knysna receives R514m while Hessequa receives R280m, Kannaland, R204m and Bitou District Municipality, R253m. A further R763m will be spent across municipalities.
An amount of R3.1bn is allocated towards infrastructure development in the Eden region over the 2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). This is allocated as follows: George R899m; Mossel Bay R585m; Bitou R125m; Knysna R186m; Hessequa R95m, and Kannaland R72m.
Key projects
Key Projects include the upgrading of informal settlements in Mossel Bay (R60 million), construction of 967 housing units in Rosevalley, Oudtshoorn (R43 million) and the construction of 1 360 housing units in KwaNokuthula in Bitou (R51 million).
A R40 million public works allocation has also been made towards the modernisation of the York Park office building in George. Education infrastructure projects within Eden include the construction of Panorama Primary School in Hessequa (R34 million) and Concordia Primary School in Knysna (R40 million).
Revenue gap
The budget is being delivered against National Treasury estimates of a revenue gap of R48.2 billion for 2017/18.
This translates to an R144m cut to the Western Cape’s Provincial Equity Share in 2018/19, R166m in 2019/20 and R177m in 20/21.
"The Western Cape 2018/19 budget is a continuation of the undertaking we gave to citizens in 2009 that our Budgets will always be focused on protecting the most vulnerable," Dr Meyer stressed.
"Notwithstanding the shrinking allocations from National Treasury, we have increased our budgets towards Education, Health and Social Services. In this way, we are ensuring that the poor are not disadvantaged."
Education
The Western Cape Education Department receives R69.87 billion over the 2018 MTEF. Efforts will continue to focus on improving the level of language and mathematics in all schools; increasing the number and quality of passes in the National Senior Certificate; and increasing the quality of education provision in poorer communities.
Provincial Minister of Finance, Dr Ivan Meyer (front, fourth from left) shared details on the Provincial Budget of R63 billion with key stakeholders in the Eden region when he visited Mossel Bay as the guest of the executive mayor, Alderman Harry Levendal, and local councillors.
Health
The Health Department receives R72.4 b over the MTEF to improve health outcomes and Social Development receives R7.1b over the MTEF.
R535 million has been budgeted for services to persons with disabilities over the 2018 MTEF, for the provision of bed spaces in appropriate facilities as well as day-care services to persons with disabilities.
In total, allocations to the frontline services mandates of Health, Education and Social Development, are as follows:
- R362 million in 2018/19
- R474.156 million in 2019/20
- R489.686 million 2020/21
Drought relief
"The drought is undeniably a major risk for the Western Cape," Dr Meyer said. For this reason, R157m is allocated towards the drought while an additional R100 million has been earmarked within the Provincial Revenue Fund towards the drought and ensuing water crisis.
During the 2017 Adjusted Estimates, R165.331 million was allocated for the 2017/18.
These allocations are utilised for, among others, water resource infrastructure projects at schools, boreholes for health and social development facilities, additional water saving measures such as rainwater tanks, gutters and downpipes as part of housing projects, drought relief, fodder for research herds, the drought communication campaign and boreholes to provide drinking water to rural communities.
National Government has made available disaster relief grants for provinces and municipalities of R423.7 million in 2017/18 and R472.9 million in 2018/19, which can be can be rapidly released to assist in an emergency.
National Treasury has also made R6bn available to those provinces that have been affected by the drought.
The Department of Social Development receives an additional allocation of R6 million in 2018/19, R6.3 million in 2019/20 and R7 million in 2020/21 to manage service pressures and ensure the provision of a comprehensive network of social development services. This is particularly important to mitigate the effect of the drought on livelihoods in rural areas, especially among farmworkers.
Youth skills
Over R28 million has been set aside over the MTEF for driving youth skills development and the apprenticeship game changer.
The Department of Transport and Public Works receives R23.5 billion over the 2018 MTEF for delivery of government infrastructure and related services that promote socio-economic outcomes and safe, empowered and connected communities.
Housing
"A total of R6b is allocated towards human settlements. I am also tabling an additional R100m which National Treasury has reallocated to us from provinces that are unable to spend their human settlements budget. This will be used to accelerate service delivery of integrated and sustainable human settlements in the province," Dr Meyer said.
"The Western Cape will continue to strengthen its good governance agenda. The focus will, therefore, be on institutional and financial governance and the responsiveness of the state to the needs of citizens."
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