Latest news with #R886
Eyewitness News
6 days ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Some opposition parties in Gauteng Legislature remain critical of Maile's revised budget
JOHANNESBURG - Some opposition parties in the Gauteng Legislature remain critical of Finance MEC Lebogang Maile's revised provincial budget, even after adjustments were made. Maile retabled the budget on Wednesday to accommodate key changes in the province's projected revenue. An additional R886 million has been added, bringing the total projected revenue to R172 billion for the current financial year. ALSO READ: • Gauteng govt discloses that only 4 of 11 municipalities tabled funded budgets • Gauteng govt increases total projected revenue to R172bn in revised budget Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said Maile's budget doesn't reflect the true state of the province. "I think the priorities on the budget are skewed on the basis that you have R1.2 billion that is allocated for the provincial legislature and political parties while you still have about R240 million allocated towards housing. A sound decision would have been to allocate R1.2 billion to the housing and the R200 million to the political parties." The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Ruhan Robinson said that budget allocation could have been better. "All in all, many of our concerns stay exactly the same as with the previous budget. It's the enormous allocation of almost R5 billion to pay for the e-toll debt, which we still believe is not for the province to pay. We shouldn't be paying that money."
IOL News
7 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Gauteng's R886 million budget announcement: Democratic Alliance's critical response
The DA has reacted to the additional R886 secured by Gauteng's MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, who has announced his reconfigured budget speech on Tuesday. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers The DA in Gauteng has reacted strongly against the additional R886 million tabled by Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, on Tuesday. Despite Gauteng's financial difficulties, Maile said he would turn things around as the province works to meet all of its goals for service delivery and economic development. On Tuesday, Maile delivered the revised provincial budget following Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's delivery of his third iteration of the country's Budget vote over a week ago. Godongwana's proposed Budget is also being challenged in court due to the fuel levy increase, which replaced the controversial Value Added Tax increase. Following the previously tabled budget on March 18, which was made up of R171.5 billion on March 18, the revised budget, which was re-tabled at a briefing held at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for the 2025/26 financial year, amounts to approximately R172.3 billion, representing an increase of R886.6 million. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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To offset the challenges, Maile's budget looked at the pledges recently made by the private sector during the recent Gauteng Investment Conference, which reportedly raised more than R312 billion. "The State of the Province Address expressed a clear appreciation of the binding fiscal constraints in Gauteng and the country at large. This necessitates trade-offs and efficiency-driven spending to sustain the momentum critical to realising our aspiration to alleviate the 13 challenges confronting the province... "We also wish to once again extend sincere gratitude to private sector companies, both local and global, who, by making investment pledges at the recent Gauteng Investment Conference, affirmed their belief that Gauteng is a province worthy of its status as the nerve-centre of the regional and continental economy," Maile stated. His address comes just two weeks after Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, during his State of the Province Address, detailed how the provincial government is planning to address 13 major challenges affecting the province for the year ahead. Echoing Lesufi's sentiments, Maile said: "As the provincial government, we will spare no efforts to reach the objectives we have promised to the people of Gauteng, which is a break with inefficient process, a break with corruption and maladministration, a break with fruitless and wasteful expenditure, a break with delayed payments to service providers, and a break with lack of accountability. "We commit to progress, improvement in service delivery, and a definitive change in how we build a provincial economy that grows in the hands of the people of Gauteng." However, DA shadow MEC for Economic Development in the province, Ruhan Robinson, indicated that the additional R886 million is still not enough to meet the needs of the residents. "The R886.6 million added to the Gauteng budget during the re-tabling of the national Budget will not make a significant difference in the quality of life and service delivery for the people living in this province. "It is concerning that no additional funding was allocated to the Gauteng Department of Health. This department is plagued with numerous challenges, ranging from surgeries being cancelled due to budget constraints, which puts patients' lives in danger. Patients continue to suffer at Gauteng hospitals due to the department's failure to replace broken equipment such as heating systems and laundry machines. "Suppliers rendering services and products to Gauteng hospitals are suffering due to non-payment of invoices within 30 days. Despite all these challenges, Premier Panyaza Lesufi has committed to paying e-toll debt," Robinson stated. Robinson added that the decision to pay off the e-toll debt has made it difficult for the province to play around with its financial obligations, adding that the Nas' Ispani programme was another ill-conceived project that would worsen the situation.
Eyewitness News
7 days ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Gauteng govt increases total projected revenue to R172bn in revised budget
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng government has revised its budget, increasing its total projected revenue to R172 billion for the current financial the previous fiscal period, the province underspent by R1.8 public outcry, a portion of these unspent funds has been rolled over into the current financial MEC Lebogang Maile re-tabled the budget on Tuesday to reflect these adjustments to the province's annual financial the R1.8 billion unspent in the financial year that ended in March, R1.4 billion came from the provincial equitable share, with the remainder from conditional this amount, R886 million has been returned to the province's budget and reallocated to the relevant province has faced criticism for underspending its budget while service delivery in some areas remains gave himself a proverbial tap on the shoulder for ensuring that the unspent funds were rolled over."These additional resources were made possible through the provincial allocation of unspent funds, but we have also overcollected." The money will be reallocated to six provincial departments.
