BUDGET 2005/06
Finance boost for small farmers
Richard Mantu
23 February 2005
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has announced a number of initiatives to help bring the majority of South Africans, particularly those living in rural areas, into the mainstream economy.
Delivering his 2005 Budget speech in Cape Town on Wednesday, Manuel made R1-billion available for the government's new micro agricultural finance scheme, R600-million of which was expected to be allocated over the next three years.
The micro agricultural finance scheme complements the government's comprehensive agricultural support programme by increasing access to credit for rural communities.
The government hopes that emerging farmers with access to much-needed finance will be able develop their farms into productive sources of income, at the same time raising the overall level of economic activity in their communities.
Manuel also allocated R6-billion for the completion of SA's land restitution programme, and R400-million to the National
Empowerment Fund, that finances broad-based black economic empowerment initiatives.
The finance minister also allocated R885-million over the next three years to the taxi recapitalisation programme, which aims to replace the country's current taxi fleet with safer, purpose-built 18-and 35-seater passenger vehicles.
Manuel said this was in addition to other resources allocated for improved traffic law enforcement.
The minister also answered the South African Broadcasting Corporation's call for money, allocating R400-million to the Communication budget vote to transfer to the public broadcaster to invest in modernising its equipment and technology.
The SABC, Manuel said, had a "mandate to facilitate the development of language and culture in the country", and the government should ensure that as it was able to fulfil that mandate.
Source: BuaNews
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