Health’s budget increased by R563 million
This amount includes a conditional grant rollover on a comprehensive HIV/aids grant and for malaria control.
POLOKWANE – The Department of Health received an adjustment of R563,3 million in the 2017/18 Provincial Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) tabled in the Legislature last week.
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This amount includes a conditional grant rollover on a comprehensive HIV/aids grant of R20,2 million and an additional R11,8 million for malaria control.
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Also included is an equitable share rollover of R44,6 million and R486,7 million to address contractual obligations, non-negotiable items and to settle litigation claims.
Rob Tooley, MEC for Treasury, said total adjustments for the 2017/18 financial year budget is R1,307 billion which will adjust the total provincial allocation from R61,458 billion to R62,766 billion, an increase of 2,1 %.
The Office of the Premier was allocated an additional R9,3 million, of which R5,5 million for funding pressures.
Provincial Legislature will receive an adjustment of R55,6 million. The Department of Education received an additional R97,3 million of which R46,7 million is an equitable share rollover and R50,6 million as conditional grant rollovers for the National School Nutritional Program, infrastructure and maths, science and technology.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will receive R8,8 million, Treasury a rollover of R889 000 on equitable share.
After reprioritisation of the budget, the department is surrendering R41,7 million.
The Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism will receive a rollover of R18,7 million and an additional R176 million to fund provincial priorities such as Special Economic Zones (SEZ), Great North Transport and Corridor Mining Resources.
The Department of Transport will receive an adjustment of R28,2 million. Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure’s budget is increased by R292,3 million which includes a conditional grant rollover of R27,3 million for provincial roads maintenance and an equitable share rollover of R15,1 million.
Another R250 million has been allocated to the department to be transferred to the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) for roads infrastructure projects which are already committed.
The Department of Safety’s allocation was not adjusted and remained as appropriated in the main budget.
Tooley said one major decision taken through these processes was to curb the increase in allocation of compensation of employees and re-allocate resources to the implementation of SEZ.
The aim is to address low growth and high unemployment rate in the province.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will receive R5,7 million as equitable share rollover for the maintenance and repairs of the archives centre, government vehicles and installation of steel filing cabinets.
