EC education to get biggest slice of 2019 budget

Education will get the biggest slice of the 2019 budget with an allocation of R36,3bn.

Announcing details on his budget during a media lock up, Finance MEC Oscar Mabuyane said the total budget for the province was R82,1bn. The next biggest slice will go to health (R25,1bn).

For Coega’s special economic zone, Mabuyane allocated a budget of R90m over the medium term.

He said the total budget reflected a 2.9% increase compared to a revised estimate of R 80.066bn in the previous fiscal year.

This is made up of R68.824bn of equitable share, R12,078bn of conditional grants and R1,453bn of the province’s own receipts.

Mabuyane said the budget was aimed at ensuring investors knew there was stability in the province especially after the 2008 economic meltdown .

“This is the budget that seeks to assure investors and potential investors that we are in a county that strives for stability,” he said.

Breakdown of the R82,198,245,000 Eastern Cape budget:

• The office of the premier will get R973,083,000;
• Provincial legislature will get R541,734,000;
• Health will get R25,189,632,000;
• Social Development will get R3,020,607,000;
• Public Works will get R2,365,265,000;
• Education R36,328,510,000;
• Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs R1,009,712,000
• Rural Development and Agrarian Reform R2,340,324,000;
• Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism; R1,481,960,000;
• Transport R4,974,537,000;
• Human Settlements R2,443,382,000;
• Provincial Treasury R440,930,000
• Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture R983,069,000; and
• Safety and Liaison R105,499,000.