Prov Govt collects 51,2% of budgeted revenue

The Provincial Government has collected R639 million of budgeted revenue, representing 51,2% of the target of R1,2 billion, for the 2018/19 financial year.
The figures were made public by Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (Ledet) MEC, Seaparo Sekoati during the post Executive Council (Exco) media briefing at the Premier’s Office last Thursday. The presser followed Wednesday’s Exco meeting which reportedly aimed to discuss issues that impact on the improvement of service delivery in Limpopo.
Limpopo revenue collection is, however, not on par after it was reported that most people in townships such as Seshego and Mankweng don’t pay municipal rates. Spokesperson in the Premier’s Office, Kenny Mathivha highlighted that the main revenue collectors were municipalities and the Department of Public Works, Roads and infrastructure.
He revealed that Vhembe and Mopani municipalities collect minimal revenue and emphasised that one can issue hundreds of letters reminding residents to pay rates but they just don’t and when you disconnect services they resort to protest action. Mathivha added that residents who pay rates as expected are those staying in the city.
Provincial Government has to date spent R32,2 billion translating to 49,3% of its total budget of R65,4 billion allocated for the current financial year.
Sekoati stated that compensation of employees recorded an expenditure of R22,9 billion or 49,9% of the total budget of R22,9 billion while goods and services account for an expenditure of R4,6 billion being 49,2% of the total budget of R9,5 billion. Payment for capital assets recorded an expenditure of R790 million, representing 37,7% of total budget of R2,1 billion while conditional grants recorded an expenditure of R3,8 billion or 45,1% of the total budget of R 8,5 billion. Provincial infrastructure accounts for an expenditure of R2,4 billion which is 44,8% of the total budget of R5,3 billion.
Infrastructure projects
“The Department of Education’s infrastructure programme involves 65 riot and storm-damaged schools of which 30 were completed in the previous financial year and 35 schools have been planned for the current financial year. Ten schools were completed by the end of September, ten are earmarked for completion by the end of December and 15 are to be completed by the end of March next year,” Sekoati explained. He went on to reveal that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is currently responsible for five projects, all of which in the implementation stage, valued at R29 million while Ledet is expected to spend R24 million on new build, refurbishment, condition assessment, market stalls and tourism projects in the current financial year.
Provincial State Theatre
The construction of the Provincial State Theatre was planned to commence with the planning and design phase in the 2017/18 financial year, but could not be implemented due to challenges of securing land and limitations of the feasibility report, Sekoati stated. He said the project steering committee subsequently recommended that a full-time project officer and transaction advisor should be appointed to prepare a detailed feasibility study and to explore various sites in and around Polokwane for the construction of the theatre. It was reported that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture applied for the registration of the project as a public-private partnership and this was duly approved in September last year, following which the national Treasury procured the services of a project officer and a transaction advisor.
Relocation of Provincial Legislature
The Exco has decided that a dedicated project officer be appointed by the Provincial Legislature to provide oversight on the establishment of the project steering committee, including the dedicated secretariat hereof. Sekoati said the management of the project on the relocation of the Legislature from Lebowakgomo to Polokwane should be transferred from the Provincial Legislature to the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure in order to ensure that the required expertise is provided on the implementation of the project.

Story & photo: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za