West Coast receives R3.49 billion from the Provincial Government

Earlier today I visited the West Coast where I informed Mayors, Speakers , Mayoral Committee Members of Finance and IDP Managers of municipalities that the West Coast District has been allocated  R3.49 billion of the  2018/19 Western Cape Provincial Budget.

R848,4m has been allocated to Saldanha Bay Municipality; R869.4m to Swartland Municipality; R457.3 to Cederberg Municipality; R361.5m to Matzikama Municipality; R356.5 to Bergrivier and a further R598.2 will be allocated to projects across wards and municipal boundaries.

A substantial provincial infrastructure allocation of R2.5 billion has been made towards the West Coast District.

 R1.1 billion is to be applied towards the upgrade and maintenance of various roads. Human settlement projects include the development of 400 service sites on erf 1 288 in Lutzville (R62 million), the servicing of 1 304 IRDP sites in Vredendal North (R50 million) as well as the development of 492 IRDP sites on erf 168 in Lamberts Bay (R32 million). Examples of education infrastructure projects include R18 million towards the Redelinghuys Primary School in Elands Bay and R53 million to the Middelpost Primary School in Saldanha Bay.

Unpacking the Western Cape’s Budget of R63.7 billion Minister Meyer highlighted that the budget was delivered against the background of National Treasury estimates of revenue gap of R48.2 b for 2017/18. 

This translates in a R144m cut to the Western Cape’s Provincial Equitable Share in 2018/19, R166m in 2019/20 and R177m in 20/21.

The Western Cape 2018/19 budget is a continuation of the undertaking given to citizens in 2009 that the Provincial Budgets will always be focussed on protecting the most vulnerable.

Notwithstanding the shrinking allocations from National Treasury, the Western Cape Government has increased budgets towards Education, Health and Social Services. In this way ensuring that the poor are not disadvantaged.

The Western Cape Education Department received 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 received R72.4 b over the MTEF to improve health outcomes and Social Development received R7.1b 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
• R474.1 million in 2019/20
• R489.6 million 2020/21

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 received 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 R6b is allocated towards human settlements. An additional R100m which National Treasury reallocated to the Western Cape from provinces that were unable to spend their human settlements budget, was also tabled. This will be used to accelerate service delivery of integrated and sustainable human settlements in the Province.

The Department of Social Development received 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.  

The Western Cape Government, in partnership with municipalities, aims 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.

Minister Meyer emphasised that while the spatial distribution of expenditure demonstrates the Western Cape Government’s responsiveness to the socio-economic reality facing Western Cape citizens the government will also 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