Gauteng will continue to push spending across departments to meet growing service delivery demands, even as budget pressures persist, Finance MEC Lebogang Maile said on Sunday (1 March).
Speaking at a media briefing on the state of the province’s finances, Maile said departments are under pressure to spend in response to urgent needs in areas such as infrastructure, healthcare and basic services.
He maintains that this increase in expenditure is necessary, rather than reckless, given the scale of challenges facing the province. He said provincial treasury is working to ensure that spending remains within control, with oversight measures in place to monitor how funds are used.
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However, Maile acknowledged the difficulty of balancing rising costs with limited financial resources.
The briefing comes as the province faces ongoing financial strain, with persistent backlogs in key sectors raising questions about whether current spending levels will be enough to meet demand.
Gautrain handover
He also announced that the Gautrain will officially be handed over to the Gauteng government as a provincial asset on 28 March, a move expected to shift how the system is managed going forward.
He added that improving spending efficiency will be critical to ensure that increased budgets translate into tangible service delivery outcomes.
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* Likho Mbuka is a Moneyweb intern.
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