Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government has underspent on its 2024/2025 budget by R1.922 billion, while residents are struggling to access basic services from the government. This is unacceptable as under expenditure by departments has an impact on how much money they will receive in the new financial year for service delivery.
The under-expenditure by the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) is split into two parts: conditional grants and equitable share. Conditional grants are used to deliver basic services to the residents of the province. The equitable share can be used as needed by the provincial government.
The GPG will surrender R85.8 million to the National Revenue Fund (NRF), and R726.8 million of the equitable share will be surrendered to the Provincial Revenue Fund (PRF).
This puts Gauteng residents at a disadvantage, and the money could have been put to better use if the GPG had planned properly.
This information was revealed in a reply to the DA Gauteng’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to the MEC for Finance, Lebogang Maile.
See full reply here.
The following departments underspent on their budget:
• Gauteng Department of Education
• Gauteng Department of Health
• Gauteng Office of the Premier
• Gauteng Department of Economic Development
• Gauteng Department of Social Development
• Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
• Gauteng Department of Human Settlements
• Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport
• Gauteng Department of Community Safety
• Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
• Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation
• Gauteng Department of e-Government
• Gauteng Provincial Treasury
• Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development
Clinics, hospitals, schools, and roads are in dire need of maintenance. Due to the influx of people moving into the province, new schools need to be built. Currently, there is a huge school infrastructure backlog that needs to be addressed. Furthermore, hospitals and clinics need to be upgraded to provide our residents with the best medical care.
Our roads are littered with potholes, sinkholes, and non-functioning traffic lights, which this money could have been used to fix. This infrastructure decay is inevitable, but it can be reversed with proper budgeting, planning, and implementation. With a DA-led provincial government, Yes it can be done!
The DA, through the Portfolio Committee of Finance, will ask the GPG how it intends to keep the under-expenditure to a minimum.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would properly assess the needs of the province and ensure that sufficient funding is made available to address the infrastructure needs of the province.