Gauteng finance MEC Barbara Creecy on Tuesday tabled a R108bn budget for the province, which included R10bn added to the baseline of departments to meet increased demand. Gauteng is the largest contributor to the country’s economy and accounts for 35% of SA's gross domestic product (GDP). The main priorities for the provincial government were education, health and infrastructure. The largest amount - R40.8bn - was allocated to the education department. This was up from R39.5bn. The budget for the province’s public health system also increased, from R37.6bn in 2016-17 to R40.2bn in 2017-18. “Improving the health of our citizens and restoring public confidence in our public health system is a major priority for this year,” she said. Over the medium term, R893.8m has been allocated to support mental health patients. Gauteng spent about R700m in the last medium term.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.