Taking Budget to the People Eden Region

WESTERN CAPE PROTECTS THE VULNERABLE IN ITS BUDGET

Earlier today I shared the Provincial Budget of R63 billion in the Western Cape with key stakeholders in the Eden Region. The budget is being delivered against National Treasury estimates of a revenue gap of R48.2 billion for 2017/18. 

This translates in a R144 million  cut to the Western Cape’s Provincial Equity Share in 2018/19, R166 million  in 2019/20 and R177 million 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 focussed on protecting the most vulnerable.

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.

The Western Cape Education Department receives R 69.87 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.

The Health Department receives R72.4 billion over the MTEF to improve health outcomes and Social Development receives R7.1 billion 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

The drought is undeniably a major risk for the Western Cape. For this reason, R157 billion 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, amongst others, water resource infrastructure projects at schools, boreholes for health and social development facilities, additional water saving measures such as rain water tanks, gutters and down pipes as part of housing projects, drought relief, fodder for research herds, the drought communication campaign and boreholes to provide drinking water to rural communities

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.

A total of R6 billion is allocated towards human settlements. I am also tabling an additional R100 million 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.

An additional R100 million has been earmarked in 2018/2019 within the Provincial Revenue Fund towards the drought and pursuing water crisis.

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 R6b 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.

The Western Cape Government remains committed to service delivery excellence, the creation of public value and continued commitment to good governance. The Western Cape Government, in partnership with municipalities, aim to progressively support improvements in service delivery, enhanced through alignment in provincial and local government policy, planning, budgeting and implementation within a spatial and local government context. The spatial distribution of expenditure demonstrates responsiveness to the socio-economic reality facing Western Cape citizens and the manner in which the Western Cape municipalities through financial allocations respond to key socio-economic and delivery challenges,

The Eden District

The Eden District will receive R5.598 billion in the provincial budget for 2018/19.

Within Eden District, R2b will be spent in George followed by Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay at R831 million and R678 million respectively. Knysna receives R514 million while Hessequa receives R280 million, Kannaland R204 million and Bitou Municipality R253 million. A further R763 million will be spent across municipalities.

An amount of R3.1b is allocated   towards infrastructure development in the Eden Region over the 2018 MTEF.  

This is allocated as follows:

• George - R899 million
• Bitou - R125 million
• Knysna - R186 million
• Mossel Bay - R585 million
• Hessequa - R95 million
• Kannaland - R72 million

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 includes the construction of the Panorama Primary School in Hessequa (R34 million) and the Concordia Primary School in Knysna (R40 million).

Finally, we will continue with our good governance agenda by strengthening institutional and financial governance and responsiveness to the needs of the people of the Western Cape

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.

Ends

Dr IH Meyer

Minister of Finance

Western Cape Government