On Now
Weekdays 00:00 - 05:00
Early Mornings Oscar
NEXT: 05:00 - 06:00 The Agri Hour with Gerben
Listen Live Streams

Central SA

#FSbudget: Tourism to unlock job creation in Free State

───   LUCKY NKUYANE 16:40 Wed, 17 Jul 2019

#FSbudget: Tourism to unlock job creation in Free State | News Article
Free State MEC of Finance, Gadija Brown

Tourism remains key to unlocking job creation and addressing the issue of high unemployment in the Free State.


This is according to the MEC of Finance, Gadija Brown, on Wednesday during her maiden 2019/20 financial budget speech. She says the sector is key to the provincial economy and the creation of jobs with the hope of ending unemployment in the province currently sitting at 34,9%. 

Tabling her budget vote speech, that has received an allocation of R368 million, Brown announced that her department will fast-track different programmes to enhance the development of fiscal policies for the benefit of the province.

She says the Provincial Treasury continues to work with the national department to make sure that there is a key driver to fiscal management adhered to at all times. She says R29 million has been allocated to key strategies to fast track basic and quality service delivery in the province.

Brown says her department is mindful that the growing wage bill is a thorny issue for the provincial government. She said to curb the growing wage bill they will adhere to cost-cutting measures among others. She says her department will from now on pay service providers within 15 days as opposed to the normal 30 days.

She adds she will also encourage other provincial departments to follow suit. This as many service providers recently lambasted the various provincial departments for late payment or non-payment for services rendered to these departments. She also says stringent measures will be taken to ensure ailing local municipalities received much-needed help in terms of fiscal policies. Brown says efforts are afoot to help various municipalities that owe water boards to pay their debts running to millions of rands.

This comes a day after the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) won its case against the Bloem Water Board after the entity lifted water restrictions against the metro. Judge Joseph Mhlambi ordered the water board to lift its water restrictions after the two parties argued in court that the water service act and level of service agreement was not adhered to.


OFM News

@ 2024 OFM - All rights reserved Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | We Use Cookies - OFM is a division of Central Media Group (PTY) LTD.