R279 million budgeted for National Treasury's building rentals and parking spaces
More than R300 million over the next three years has been budgeted for rental and maintenance costs for National Treasury infrastructure.
Roughly R90 million per year is to be spent on housing National Treasury over the next three years.
The amounts to be spent on building rentals, parking spaces, communications technology and maintenance was recently revealed by the Ministry of Finance.
The R279 million tabled for rentals for the next three financial years excludes the other items, which all have separate budgets.
National Treasury infrastructure
A written question on National Treasury's budget was posed by the ANC's Helen Neale-May.
The finance ministry's written reply explained that infrastructure was a broad term that encompassed multiple support systems.
Treasury disclosed the amounts to be spent on four buildings occupied by Treasury, as well as its communications technologies.
For the rentals of their offices, the ministry stated that R279 million has been budgeted for building rentals and parking spaces for the next three financial years.
This was broken down as R88.9 million for the 2026/26 financial year, as well as R93.1 million and R97.3 million for the next two financial years.
The allocation for communications infrastructure is R26.5 R26.5Million, with R2.7 million allocated set aside for maintenance.
Oversight mechanisms
Neale-May also queried what was being done to maintain infrastructure operation and maintenance standards within Treasury.
The ministry stated that regular audits and inspections of its systems were conducted to ensure they were managed effectively and sustainably.
'Compliance frameworks have been implemented to provide clear guidance on standards, procedures, and occupational health and safety compliance, with a special emphasis on infrastructure maintenance and ICT governance,' the ministry replied.
'By adopting these measures, the National Treasury demonstrates a proactive commitment to sustainable infrastructure management.
'The integrated approach, covering both physical and ICT systems, ensures functionality, safety, and accessibility for public use, highlighting a forward-thinking stance in governance and operational excellence,' the ministry concluded.
NOW READ: Lesufi to call in forensic firm to scrutinise R34 million office rentals
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Collect your June SASSA grants from tomorrow
SASSA has confirmed that Pretoria grant recipients can collect their payments from tomorrow, with June payout dates now officially announced. Below are the payment dates for Older Person's, Disability, and Children's grants in June: Older Person's Grant 3 June 2025 Disability Grant 4 June 2025 Children's Grant 5 June 2025 All social grants, barring the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, increased in April this year. Delivering the 2025 Budget Speech in Parliament earlier this year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that the number of social grant beneficiaries – excluding those receiving the SRD grant – was expected to rise to around 19 million in 2025/26 and 19.3 million in 2027/28 due to a growing population of older persons. Godongwana said that for 2025/26, social grants were allocated approximately R284.7 billion. 'As announced by the President in the State of the Nation Address, the SRD was to be used as a basis for the introduction of a sustainable form of income support for unemployed people. 'The future form and nature of the SRD would be informed by the outcome of the review of active labour market programmes, which was expected to be completed by September 2025. 'The truth was that ours was one of the most comprehensive social safety nets among emerging economies. This reflected our commitment to addressing poverty and inequality, while keeping our spending sustainable,' he said. The grant increases that took effect in April were: Old age grant: increased from R2185 to R2315 War veterans grant: increased from R2205 to R2335 Disability grant: increased from R2185 to R2315 Foster care grant: increased from R1180 to R1250 Care dependency grant: increased from R2185 to R2315 Child support grant: increased from R530 to R560 Grant-in-aid: increased from R530 to R560 In the Budget Review, National Treasury stated that the budget for social grants was increased by R8.2 billion over the medium term to account for higher living costs. 'An amount of R35.2 billion was allocated to extend the payment at the current SRD rate of R370 per month per beneficiary, including administration costs,' the department said. Also read: Is there an outbreak of Staphylococcus in Pretoria? Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Maverick
11 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
EFF vs fuel levy increase — court challenge tests legality of fiscal decisions
The EFF has filed an urgent court bid to block Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's fuel levy hike, arguing it is irrational, economically harmful and unlawfully implemented. This is not just the EFF showing commitment to its stance against the increase, but a relatively novel legal precedent that could have far-reaching implications. A last-minute legal bid On Thursday, 29 May, the EFF filed papers in the Western Cape Division of the High Court to block a fuel levy increase announced eight days earlier during the Minister of Finance's Budget 3.0 tabling. The case makes an unusual use of Rule 53 of the Uniform Rules of Court — a procedural mechanism regularly used to challenge administrative decisions — to challenge a fiscal measure introduced by the Treasury in Budget 3.0. 'We took this action after repeated efforts to caution the minister and appeal to his conscience failed,' said the party in a statement issued on the same day, stating that an increase without a Money Bill 'risks the entire national Budget being declared invalid by the courts'. Though it hasn't sparked the same political uproar as the aborted VAT hike, the fuel levy increase is just as important, as a fuel increase touches aspects of almost all supply chains, increasing costs across every facet of life. As economist Dawie Roodt told Daily Maverick, '… in terms of the effect on the poor, that is pretty much the same as the VAT increase'. The fuel levy increase — 16c per litre for petrol and 15c for diesel — is scheduled to come into effect on 4 June. The EFF is seeking urgent relief before this happens. The EFF Treasurer-General, Omphile Maotwe, told Newzroom Afrika the Treasury intended to gazette the increase on 3 June, 'to allow us no window or opportunity to interdict', hence the urgent application. The EFF's legal logic The application has two parts: Part A seeks an urgent interdict halting the increase and Part B calls for a full review and potential nullification of the decision, with the EFF arguing the increase must be reviewed in light of worsening inflation, stagnant wages and the fallout from the abandoned VAT hike. While it's true that the fuel levy is a regressive tax, Roodt argues that the Treasury's hands are largely tied regarding other measures to generate revenue. 'South Africa's tax burden is already dramatically redistributive. You can't make it more so,' he said. In its founding affidavit, the EFF argues that the fuel levy hike is procedurally flawed and substantively irrational. There was no consultation with Parliament, no socioeconomic impact assessment and no engagement with affected sectors. The party says the decision punishes low- and middle-income households already buckling under cost-of-living pressures. While the minister has statutory power to adjust the levy, the EFF argues that using this mechanism — without oversight or legislative process — amounts to executive overreach. The party called the increase 'yet another demonstration of the anti-black, anti-poor, neoliberal Budget the ANC government continues to impose on the people of South Africa'. No word yet from Treasury By the time of publication, the National Treasury had not responded to detailed questions from Daily Maverick about whether a socioeconomic impact study had been carried out, whether consultations with industry had occurred, and what the Treasury would do if an interdict were granted. This article will be updated once a response is received. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni did not discuss the fuel levy, but defended the broader Budget at a briefing to the media on Friday, 30 May. 'This pro-poor Budget means [that] on every rand, 61 cents of consolidated, non-interest expenditure funds will be spent on free basic services … social grants for those in need.' A silent tax indeed The fuel levy is often called a 'silent tax' — embedded in pump prices and not itemised like VAT. Its revenue flows into the National Revenue Fund and is not earmarked for roads or transport. Between 2012 and 2022, the general fuel levy rose from R1.77 to R3.93. It now accounts for about 6-7% of pump prices. The 2025 increase is expected to raise R2.9-billion. Filling a 50-litre tank will cost about R8 more — a cost that ripples through logistics, transport and food prices. Unlike some OECD countries, South Africa lacks fuel subsidies or robust public transport, making the levy a heavier burden for poor households. Can fiscal decisions be challenged in court? Yes, as the EFF and DA's challenge of the VAT hike showed clearly — but this time the mechanism is different. That case primarily rested on constitutional and procedural grounds. In this matter, the EFF is invoking Rule 53, seeking a review of the minister's decision. The rule requires the state to produce the full record of decision-making, allowing the applicant to supplement their case. Rule 53 is usually applied to administrative actions — permits, suspensions, authorisations — and not budgetary policy. The stakes next week The urgent interdict will be heard on Tuesday, 3 June. If granted, the levy will be paused pending the main review. If refused, it may take effect as scheduled, making a later review moot. Should the court ultimately side with the EFF, it could invalidate the hike retrospectively, forcing the Treasury to re-table it through proper legislative channels. The ruling could also set a legal precedent, inviting future litigation over fiscal instruments previously seen as untouchable. Who really pays? Much of South Africa's fiscal debate is cloaked in specialised language: 'consolidation paths', 'debt stabilisation', 'medium-term frameworks', but the impact is direct: it's on you and I. Fuel taxes inflate the cost of moving people and goods, from taxis to tractors. The EFF's challenge isn't likely to unravel the Treasury's broader strategy, but it could set a strong precedent for how fiscal policy can be challenged; at its core, the case asks who gets to hold the pen when new taxes are imposed, and if the courts should step in if Parliament does not. DM
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Treasury rules out further drawdowns from GFECRA to boost revenue
CAPE TOWN - The National Treasury has ruled out any further drawdowns from the Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account (GFECRA) to bolster revenue. In last year's budget, the finance minister announced a R100 million withdrawal from the account to pay off some of its debt. The account, held by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), is meant to protect the country against foreign exchange fluctuations. There is currently around R390 billion in the account. Twenty-five million rand will be drawn down in each of the next two financial years. Responding to public comments on the budget on Friday, the head of the Treasury's Asset and Liability Management, Ravesh Rajlal, told Parliament's finance committees it was not an option to take out more money. "There is an agreement that we have with the SA Reserve Bank, and what we need to do is that gets updated on a yearly basis, so I think at the time of the medium-term budget policy statement, we will make further announcements in that regard." Rajlal said it was also not preferable to renegotiate the country's debt because it would send a distress signal to the markets. "So, it's important to highlight that we don't go into a renegotiation of our debt, because that will result in a significant impact on our debt stock. What will happen then, obviously, is the ratings agencies will downgrade us and obviously that will have serious repercussions for our borrowing programme."
