Staff Reporter
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Free State says it does not see how the provincial budget delivered this week will be able to promote investment and drive employment creation in the province.
DA Chief Whip in the Free State Legislature, David Janse van Vuuren, released a statement soon after the provincial budget speech was delivered at Gariep Dam by Finance MEC Gadija Brown on Tuesday saying the budget fell short of bringing any significant changes to the provincial economy.
“The budget . . . remains a business as usual budget,” said Van Vuuren.
“. . . it fails to grasp the opportunity to shift the focus (onto) an enabling environment for private sector investment and job creation.
“This can only be produced through sound basic service delivery and a sound roads infrastructure, which is lacking in the Free State.
“Our health and education departments in the Free State should also be prioritised and deserve to receive a greater allocation of the budget in order to effect real change in the province.”
Van Vuuren said this was no longer the time to simply talk tough on corruption without acting on it.
The opposition chief whip said what the province needs is less seminars on corruption and more action.
“While MEC . . . Gadija Brown blames the 6.8 percent contraction of the Free State economy from R161 billion in 2019 to R150 billion in 2020 on COVID-19, it is corruption that continues to cost the province both in terms of economic growth and jobs,” he said.
“While R1.67 billion will be spent on ‘good governance’, this should not cost money,” he suggested.
“Good governance requires a change in institutional culture and political will.”
Van Vuuren said his party was unhappy that the budget for the Office of the Premier had grown to R662.675 million, much higher than that of the Free State Legislature which received R258.8 million.
“It is unfathomable that the Premier’s office remains this bloated considering that it does not deliver frontline services,” he said.
“This Premier’s office also continues to allocate large amounts to bursaries for students to study at foreign universities, while tertiary institutions in the Free State feel the financial crunch . . .”
Premier Sisi Ntombela recently told a ‘Well Done Function’ for the matric class of 2020 that the province is currently funding 1 002 students at local universities and 535 studying outside the country.
She however said no new students will be put on the international programme as the provincial government is trying to cut costs.
The latest allocation for her office is expected to cover, amongst others: gender-based violence programmes; funding for the Free State Training and Development Institute; funding for community development workers; the innovation hub for the province; coordination of youth programmes; funding for the provincial bursary programme; as well as provincial planning.
The DA also noted with concern the R11.137 billion reduction of the equitable share allocation to the Free State over the next three years, saying this was mainly due to the failure to spend allocated funds.
“While we welcome the R13 billion to be spent on infrastructure over the MTEF (Mid-Term Expenditure Framework), the R100 million lost due to the inability to spend this on housing infrastructure last year raises concerns about the ability to implement infrastructure projects. This is also where much of the corruption takes place,” said Van Vuuren.