BUDGET 2004/05
R15bn for infrastructure projects
19 February 2004
The government is to inject R15-billion over the next five years into labour-intensive infrastructure projects as part of its expanded public works programme, which aims to create a million new jobs, says Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.
Delivering his 2004/05 Budget speech in Cape Town on Wednesday, Manuel said that an additional R4-billion would be spent over the next five years on job-creating activities in the environmental and cultural sectors, and another R600-million in the social sector.
Manuel said these projects would be partly financed through provincial and municipal infrastructure grants, which together would receive additional allocations of R3.2-billion over the medium term, with part of this earmarked for labour-based public works.
Total grants for local government infrastructure are to increase to R5-billion in 2004/05, R5.6-billion in 2005/06, and R6-billion in 2006/07.
"This will enable municipalities to address
backlogs in basic infrastructure in a sustainable manner, and to promote the creation of jobs through the expanded public works programme", Manuel told Parliament.
Source: BuaNews
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