Finance and e-Government MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko this morning announced that a total of R36.8 billion has been allocated for infrastructure in the province over the next three years.
The money will be used to build and maintain public infrastructure that provides the enabling environment required to deliver government services to communitiesincluding schools, healthcare facilities, libraries, social development facilities and sports facilities.
The MEC was presenting the Gauteng Provincial Government’s 2022/23 budget to the Legislature.
She said: “R12.2 billion is allocated for 2022/23 financial year, R12.3 billion for 2023/24 financial year and R12.3billion for the 2024/25 financial year.”
Nkomo-Ralehoko has called on departments to improve efficiencies in managing infrastructure projects to avoid cost overruns and wastage of public funds.
“Available funds are increasingly becoming scarcer and should be protected in the same manner that a person would look after his/her “own funds”. Unnecessary mistakes throughout the delivery chain of infrastructure shouldnot be the normal way of doing business without consequences,” she said.
“Infrastructure is not only critical in the delivery of services such as education and health but also enables economic development and growth,” she said.
Nkomo-Ralehoko added that to address issues of underspending on infrastructure budget, the provincial government has done the following: “the province introduced the concept of first preparing a business case as a minimum requirement for infrastructure projects that are funded from the equitable share, to ensure that key strategic planning issues, cost estimates, risks and related matters are given adequate consideration before allocating funding to a project.”
