Budget speech for 2014
South Africans need to start working together government to make South Africa a better place.
The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan had his last budget speech as his term has come to an end.
In his speech he addresses areas that the government has done and are still going to do in the next five years.
Here are some of the highlights of his speech:
Job creation
The strategy includes:
· Stepped up implementation of the expanded public works programme.
· Implementation of the Community Work Programme in every municipality by 2017.
· Introduction this year of the youth employment tax incentive, which in its first month has recorded 56 000 beneficiaries.
· Establishment of special economic zones, industrial incentives, and support for agriculture and labour-intensive sectors.
· Ramping-up of skills development and further education and training programmes.
· Housing investment, support for small and medium enterprises and the Jobs Fund partnerships with private and public sector development agencies.
Social assistance grants
The number of people eligible for grants is due to reach 16.5 million by 2016/17. The recent re-registration of grant recipients and the introduction of a new payment system have lowered the cost of administration. One million invalid beneficiaries were removed from the system. Social grants are meant for those who need them most.
Grant recipients will receive the following increases this year:
· The old age and disability grants will increase in April from R1270 a month to R1350,
· The foster care grant will increase from R800 to R830, and
· The child support grant will increase from R300 to R310 a month in April, and to R320 in October.
Education
In 2007, 5 million learners had access to free education; this year the number reached 8.8 million.
Grade R enrolment has increased from 544 000 in 2009 to 779 000 this year.
The national school nutrition programme now feeds 8.7 million children.
The Funza Lushaka bursary scheme supported 3 950 graduates qualifying for placement as teachers in 2013.
The allocation to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme increases from R5.1 billion last year to R6.6 billion in 2016/17. This will increase the number of FET college bursaries to 292 000 and will assist over 236 000 students to attend university by 2016/17.
