Budget vote process for 2023/2024 financial year
As part of implementing the Legislature’s oversight and public participation mandates, GPL Committees recently help public meetings to scrutinize the budget of Provincial Government Departments for the current financial year, 2023/2024. The meetings took place at different venues across Gauteng where the GPL afforded residents an opportunity to look at departments’ budgets aligned to annual performance plans and ask critical questions to justify allocated funds.
The process included the assessment of annual budgets of Departments, which highlight public fund allocations to implement their performance plans for the year.
Committees looked at priorities that were identified during both the State of the Nation (SONA) and the State of the Province Address (SOPA) as they relate to Government Departments.
This analysis helps Committees check the alignment between allocated budgets and set performance targets for the Provincial Government. In essence, the process exists to enable the delivery of all prioritized services in Gauteng.
The allocation of budgets comes after National Treasury has appealed to Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) departments to reduce spending in order to keep up with the shrinking public purse.
And because budgets impact service delivery and the implementation of Gauteng’s Development Strategy, it is critical that the Legislature pays close attention to Department budgets, and all spending. It is one of the ways to ensure minimal impact on services delivery.
