Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala on Tuesday announced that the department has been allocated R27.5 billion in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), with R8.782 billion allocated for the 2023/24 financial year.

Delivering his department’s budget vote in Cape Town on Tuesday, Zikalala said the allocation will be spent towards creating work opportunities by leading and coordinating the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), providing policy and sector oversight; building State capacity to facilitate skills development; strengthening the skills pipeline, and providing direct support to sponsors of priority public infrastructure projects.

“These areas of focus contribute toward the realisation of the NDP’s vision of facilitating job creation and improving public infrastructure,” Zikalala said.

Zikalala said the EPWP has a total budget of R9.7 billion over the MTEF period, increasing at an average medium-term rate of 5%, from R2.96 billion in 2022/23 to R3.2 billion in 2024/25.

“An estimated 86% or R23.5 billion of the main vote’s total budget over the next three years is allocated to transfers and subsidies for the operations of its entities, and for conditional grants to provinces and municipalities to implement the Expanded Public Works Programme.

“The remaining balance of 14% or R4 billion is earmarked for spending on compensation and goods and services to support the achievement of these priorities by the Department,” the Minister said.

Zikalala said the department’s Infrastructure South Africa division has identified the need to provide direct support through the allocation of project preparation resources to sponsors of priority public infrastructure projects, with the aim of expediting investor-friendly projects.

The Minister said to prepare these projects, R600 million is allocated over the medium-term period. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency