Notwithstanding a deteriorated economic outlook and slowed national economic growth forecast to 2.3% for the 2013/14 fiscal year, the Gauteng Provincial Treasury has adjusted its primary budget appropriation upwards from R76-billion to R79-billion for the 2013/14 financial year.

Gauteng Finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe said, during his presentation of the 2013 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and the 2013/14 Adjustment Budget on Thursday, despite the current fiscal constraints experienced by government, the province was compelled to continue to provide effective public services and was, therefore, increasing budget allocations to several departments.

The bulk of the R3-billion increase would be apportioned to the Department of Roads and Transport, which would receive additional funding of R679-million to maintain and upgrade provincial road infrastructure, as well as address the “operational requirements” of the Gautrain.

“As the engine of South Africa’s economy, the mobility of Gauteng residents is critical and, to this extent, the budget for this department has been adjusted,” Nkomfe said in his address to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

Additional funding of R618.7-million was also allocated to the provincial Department of Health to assist it in its response to the influx of people to Gauteng in search of work, which subsequently burdened the healthcare system.

The Adjustment Budget also awarded the Department of Education additional funding of R454.7-million to improve efficiencies in the management of demand and supply, resulting from a rapid increase in the number of learners in the province.

This was coupled with a R342.2-million budgetary boost to the Department of Finance to manage the Department of Education’s migration to the e-learning solution, announced by the MEC earlier this year, which involved learners using tablets, smartphones and netbooks, containing grade-specific curriculum content, in the classroom.

“The budget adjustment for this department, therefore, makes provision for the transitory period from the existing online schools programme to an e-learning solution. As from January, when schools reopen, our learners will be provided with e-learning devices,” Nkomfe commented.

In perhaps its most contentious budget adjustment, the Department of Finance allocated an additional R37.5-million in funding to the Office of the Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane to prepare for the celebration of South Africa’s twentieth year of democracy.

The Adjusted Estimates of Provincial Revenue and Expenditure document stated that this would "further align with the ushering in of the new political term and administration".

This came as Nkomfe urged senior public officials, in particular heads of departments and CFOs within the province, to exercise their responsibilities “properly” and ensure that finances in their respective clusters were managed in accordance with applicable legislation.

He further encouraged MECs to hold accounting officers responsible for all intradepartmental financial matters.

“We must restore the public’s trust in government, demonstrate value for money in all our work and improve efficiencies so that we can stretch every rand and avoid the wastage of public funds.

“In the last few weeks, both the Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan and the Premier have pronounced that all State credit cards are cancelled. While the Treasury has already communicated this message to all departments, I reiterate that this applies to our entities as well,” he said.

In an effort to root out corruption in the payroll system, the province had implemented an identity verification system, which the MEC said had resulted in savings of over R3-million a month since its introduction in April.

He added that forensic investigations into suspected transactions for so-called “ghost workers”, who operated “with impunity and pillaged public resources through the payroll system” were under way.