On Monday, 26 June 2017, the Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development, Honourable Jacob Mamabolo tabled the Department’s 2017/18 budget vote speech during a House Sitting of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
As part of its oversight role, the Portfolio Committee on Infrastructure Development Chaired by Honourable Lindiwe Lasindwa has a responsibility as prescribed in the Standing Rules of the Gauteng Legislature to provide an analytical assessment of the state of the budget allocation to the department.
The assessment of the Committee focuses on the capacity of the Department to realise its core mandate of delivering, maintaining and managing public infrastructure in Gauteng.
The Committee has noted that the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development has been allocated a budget of R2 542 122 000 for the current financial year.
This budget allocation represents an increase of 1% compared to R2 050 698 000 allocated in the previous financial year.
The Committee noted that the budget is allocated to cater for the new and existing infrastructure (construction, maintenance, repairs, rehabilitation, refurbishment and renovation of public buildings in the province).
The Committee notes that the budget allocation for Administration Programme (Programme 1) is R325 307 000 for the 2017/18 financial year which represent 13% of the entire budget. The Committee further notes that the budget allocated to this particular programme has been decreased by 28% compared to the previous financial year.
The Committee notes that Public Works Programme (Programme 2) has been allocated a budget of R1 912 116 000. The purpose of this programme is to plan, procure, deliver and manage infrastructure delivery programme and to promote effective and efficient management of the property portfolio with a view of maximising the returns on investment. The Committee notes that this budget allocation will also serve to reduce the provincial maintenance backlog and ensure the payment of service providers within 30 days period.
Concerning to the Committee is that even though the budget for this programme has been increased as compared to the previous financial year, targets for this programme has been reduced.
In the current financial year, the Committee notes that the greatest share of the budget within this programme is allocated to the Immovable Asset Management sub-programme amounting to R1 912 116 000. This is due to the implementation of the Provincial Property Management Optimisation Plan, which gives direction to the implementation of the disposal of non-core and non- strategic assets. The Committee also notes that a private auctioneer has been appointed to manage the online auctioning process to dispose of the identified properties. The Committee however, remains concerned on how the Department will achieve this noting that the Department has been unable to provide the complete asset register. The view of the Committee is that the Department should expedite the completion of the asset register in order to achieve its planned targets.
In the current financial year, Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) received R304 698 000 representing a 9% increase from the last financial year. The purpose of EPWP programme is to manage the implementation of programmes and strategies that leads to the development and empowerment of communities and contractors. This includes the provincial management and co-ordination of the Expanded Public Works Programme. The Committee notes that the allocation is intended to eradicating poverty in areas such as amongst others; Mfuleni Municipality, Cullinan and Harmanskraal.
The Committee notes with concern that in the previous financial year, the department failed to meet its targets with regard to the allocated budget for Military Veterans Associations and urges the department to improve its performance in terms of spending its procurement to this group.
The Committee will continue to monitor the performance of the Department throughout the financial year with a view of ensuring that the budget allocated to the department is utilized economically, effectively and efficiently to improve the lives of the people of Gauteng.
ISSUED BY GPL’S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, HONOURABLE LINDI LASINDWA
For interview requests with the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee please contact: Mr Thebe Khumalo on
011 498 5948 / 072 266 1021 email: TKhumalo@gpl.gov.za
