The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga was cautiously optimistic about the 2020/2021 budget for Mpumalanga. However, this picture has changed due to the release of the Finance Portfolio Committee report on the Mpumalanga Appropriation Bill.
Its concerning that MECs stand up and proudly announce programmes that will benefit the lives of the people of Mpumalanga but in hindsight these programmes are unfunded and might never see the light of day.
The Department of Economic Development has stated that although the budget is sufficient the following projects will not be implemented due to budget shortfall of R22 500 000:
- Future Production Technology Incubator
- Highveld Steel
- Consumer Case Management ICT System
- Green Economy Cluster Entity
It is disappointing that the department will be unable to implement the Green Economy Cluster although it was a pronouncement in the Premier’s State of the Province Address and it was to rehabilitate unused mines and create much needed employment in the province.
The Department of Agriculture considers the allocated 2020/21 financial year as insufficient and reported that the budget is underfunded by R110 000 000. The envisaged shortfall is to affect the Zonda Intsila, Zonda Indlala and Fortune-40 programmes.
This is a major concern given that agriculture is one of Mpumalanga’s economic drivers.
The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport considers the budget for the 2020/21 financial year as insufficient and underfunded by an amount of R1 033 000 000. The deficit is going to affect the core programmes of the Department of Public Works Infrastructure and Transport Infrastructure.
The state of Mpumalanga provincial roads and the citizens who drive on them will unfortunately bear the brunt of this department being underfunded.
The department of Human Settlement considers the budget for the 2020/21 financial year as insufficient and underfunded by R170 790 000. The Human Settlements Development Grant was further cut by R114 627 000. The anticipated shortfall is to affect project supervision and inspection, project implementation, and title deeds.
The residents of Mpumalanga will not only wait longer for title deeds but will also wait longer for RDP houses to be completed.
The Department of Health has reported that it has a budget shortfall of R1 246 000 000 due to the Covid -19 pandemic but failed to report if it had to reduce any programs. The DA hopes that the department sticks to its decision to employ the much-needed healthcare professionals and also not compromises on providing all healthcare professionals with the much-needed personal protective gear.
Tough economic times need tough people, the current administration needs to make tough decisions and tighten their belts to be able to steer Mpumalanga through these rough waters. The people of Mpumalanga need decisive decisions that will boost the economy and create jobs.