Western Cape Budget 2021 - “A Budget for Hope”

Today we tabled the Western Cape Budget 2021 in the Provincial Parliament.

When Premier Alan Winde delivered his State of the Province Address in Genadendal he called on us to stand together, to lead from the front, to get the job done, and to provide the hope we all need in the Western Cape.  

Which is why the 2021 Budget I tabled in the provincial parliament today is “A Budget for Hope” for all who live in the Western Cape.

In the 2021 Budget Address I announced a total package of R217.83 billion over the medium term in the Western Cape, which breaks down to R72.39 billion in 2021/22, R72.68 billion in 2022/23 and R72.77 billion in 2023/24 in the Western Cape.

We have mobilised a R2.17 billion “war chest” to defeat COVID-19 in the Western Cape.

Which will be spent: 

• On rolling out the vaccine;
• On procuring the vaccine; and
• On our response to a potential third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Western Cape,  

And, we have:

• mobilised R100 million to provide humanitarian relief, which will to respond to the needs of people who have lost jobs, who cannot make ends meet, and who are going hungry in the Western Cape.

We have been hit hard by the pandemic, but we have a recovery plan guided by three “North Stars” - “Jobs”, “Safety” and “Well-being” - which will ensure that we move forward and provide hope in the Western Cape.

To support the Western Cape Recovery Plan, we will:

• spend R17.08 billion to boost economic growth and create jobs in the Western Cape;
• spend R2.35 billion on improving safety in the Western Cape;
• spend R115.96 billion on dignity and well-being in the Western Cape.

We have to accelerate investment in infrastructure to drive economic growth and create jobs, which is why we will spend R29.09 billion on infrastructure over the medium term in the Western Cape.

And today, I am pleased to announce a new Project Preparation Facility, which will assist departments and public entities with project preparation costs, to create a clear, visible and well prepared pipeline of infrastructure projects.

We will have to find ways to be leaner, smarter and more innovative in government, which is why we have established a Fiscal Transition Support Facility to find new, smarter ways of delivering services.

We have drawn down a total of R142.8 million over the medium term from the provincial reserves to enable the Fiscal Transition Support Facility. And today, I am pleased to announce that the funding of a number of innovative projects including:

• R99 million over the medium term for the home delivery of chronic medication, which will decongest our clinics and decrease waiting times for sick patients;
• R10 million over the medium term to provide tele-health services, which will use technology to support the remote delivery of health care services while empowering people to better manage their own health;

• R2 million for the launch of an e-procurement solution, which will make it easier for businesses, especially small businesses, to become government suppliers; and
• R1.35 million over the medium term to digitise the Western Cape archives, which will move the entire archive online, making it easier for researchers to access while decreasing physical space requirements and rental costs.

The fact is that we remain locked in a struggle between a virus and a vaccine, and we must not let the virus win.

So, today, we table “A Budget for Hope” in the Provincial Parliament which is a budget that supports the plan to defeat COVID-19, which is destroying lives, and destroying livelihoods in the Western Cape.

And, we must not forget that, in the end, every one of us must continue to play our part by wearing our masks, by sanitising regularly, and by practicing social distancing so that, together, we can defeat COVID-19.

You can read Minister David Maynier's budget speech and the budget documents here: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/provincial-treasury/news/western-cape-budget-202122

Listen to soundbyte by Minister David Maynier: