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Have your say on tax proposals
The National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has published draft tax bills and draft regulations for 2024, for public comment.
The bills and draft regulations contain tax proposals made in the Budget Speech.
These proposals include the 2024 draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (2024 draft TLAB), the 2024 draft Revenue Laws Amendment Bill (2024 draft RLAB), the 2024 draft Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill (2024 draft TALAB), draft Regulations on the method for determining the VAT liability in respect of casino table games of chance, issued in terms of section 74(2) of the Value-Added Tax Act, 1991, draft Regulations on amendments to the Carbon Offset Regulations prescribing carbon offsets in terms of section 19(c) of the Carbon Tax Act, 2019, and draft Regulations on domestic reverse charge relating to valuable metal in terms of 74(2) of the Value-Added Tax Act.
The 2024 draft tax bills, the accompanying draft Explanatory Memoranda containing a comprehensive description of the proposed tax amendments contained in the 2024 draft TLAB, 2024 draft RLAB, draft TALAB, the draft Regulations on determining the VAT liability in respect of casino table games of chance, draft Regulations on domestic reverse charge, draft Regulations on electronic services and Carbon Offset Regulations, can be found on the National Treasury (www.treasury.gov.za) and SARS (www.sars.gov.za) websites.
“More general information underlying the changes in rates, thresholds or any other tax amendments can be found in the 2024 Budget Review, available on the National Treasury website.
“With respect to the 2024 RLAB published for comment on 21 February 2024 and public workshops held on 6 June 2024, National Treasury and SARS invite a second round of comments in writing on this revised 2024 draft RLAB,” the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.
The public can forward written comments to the National Treasury’s tax policy depository at 2024AnnexCProp@treasury.gov.za and SARS at acollins@sars.gov.za by close of business on 16 August 2024.
National Treasury and SARS invites comments in writing on the 2024 draft TLAB, 2024 draft TALAB, the draft Regulations on determining the VAT liability in respect of casino table games of chance, draft Regulations on domestic reverse charge and draft Regulations on electronic services and Carbon Offset Regulations.
Written comments can be sent to the National Treasury’s tax policy depository at 2024AnnexCProp@treasury.gov.za and SARS at acollins@sars.gov.za by close of business on 31 August 2024. -SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Fri, 08/02/2024 - 09:44
Some streets in the metro have been dark for years
SA to further focus on manufacturing and exports to grow economy
Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield says it is essential that South Africa’s economic growth is grounded in manufacturing-led growth and export-oriented economy.
To this end, the department will support local industries to increase their manufacturing capacity and volumes, enhance their competitiveness and identify suitable export markets for their manufactured products.
Whitfield was speaking during a debate on the Budget Vote of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament on Tuesday.
“It is essential that South Africa’s economic growth is grounded in manufacturing-led growth.
“Manufacturing is indeed less volatile and less vulnerable to economic downturns and will create real, sustainable and decent paying jobs for our people.
“South Africa must also create an export-oriented economy. A dedicated focus on manufacturing growth will also lead to export growth,” he said.
Whitfield said one of the dtic’s key focus areas under the new administration will be a renewed export drive to lower the risk of slow domestic growth, while also identifying high growth opportunities.
“The creation of an export-oriented economy can be realised through a dedicated focus on implementing measures to boost the competitiveness of local industries in global markets, streamlining export processes, lowering trade barriers, offering financial and technical assistance to exporters and cultivating beneficial trade alliances with other nations,” explained Whitfield.
He said South Africa’s exports in May this year totalled over R178 billion and the country recorded a trade surplus of over R20 billion, significantly higher than forecast, and the widest trade surplus in six months.
“This is commendable and illustrates the important contribution that exports can make to our fiscus. We will support local industries by building a supportive and competitive ecosystem to drive manufacturing growth.
“We will also identify intermediate goods that could make our manufacturers more competitive; as well as identify products that we produce competitively and the markets that consume those products in large and/or growing volumes,” Whitfield said.
Earlier this month, dtic Minister Parks Tau reiterated the commitment to “smart industrial policy”, which will support the successful implementation of government’s development imperatives.
READ | The dtic to support programmes outlined by the President
“In line with what the President said [during the Opening of Parliament Address] when talking about smart industrial policy, the dtic group will implement sectoral plans building on the successes recorded in the automotive, clothing and textiles, retail and agro-processing sectors.
“Smart industrial policy speaks to underlining beneficiation and export-led growth. It highlights the imperatives of the Public Procurement Act that will complement the essential legislative tools to unlock localisation and transformation.
“Every year the South African economy spends 25% of the national wealth created on imported goods. Not only is this propensity to import much greater than our competitor countries, it is also out of sync with our developmental needs,” Tau said.
The Minister said government will reverse this in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, green industries, food products and manufactured goods, among others. He noted that smart industrial policies and programmes are being implemented to respond to the global market trends towards electric vehicles. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Wed, 07/31/2024 - 14:31
dtic welcomes signing into law of the Companies Amendment Act
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has welcomed the signing into law of the Companies Amendment Act by President Cyril Ramaphosa last Friday.
Tau was addressing the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) during the debate on his department’s Budget Vote on Tuesday.
“In the spirit of transparency and in the hopes that we further improve the ease of doing business, we welcome President Ramaphosa’s ascension to the Companies Amendment Act. The Act aims to improve the ease of doing business by ensuring that our company law is consistent with well-established principles that are not over-burdensome on businesses,” he said.
Tau said the new Act is also aimed at achieving equity between directors and senior management on the one hand, and shareholders and workers on the other hand, as well as addressing public concerns regarding high levels of inequality in society.
“The Act will go a long way in ensuring adherence to sound corporate governance, accountability and transparency, and that directors carry their duties with integrity and care,” he said.
READ I President assents laws advancing ease of doing business
Tau also welcomed President Ramaphosa’s signing of the Climate Change Bill into law, saying that all South Africans needed to celebrate its ascension.
The Climate Change Act sets out South Africa’s national climate change response, including mitigation and adaptation actions, which also constitutes South Africa’s fair contribution to the global climate change response.
“The signing of the law came at an opportune moment because as the department, we had already taken significant steps towards identifying opportunities in industrial decarbonisation and manufacturing of green products for both local and export markets,” he said.
The Act makes provision for an active role by provinces and municipalities in coordinating the country’s climate change responses, as well as setting emissions targets for manufacturing and related sectors.
“In this regard, our department has developed the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, which will be implemented.
“In the next few weeks, we will be meeting with provinces and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to map these out further and ensure that we all channel our energies towards building a greener and climate-resilient South African economy,” Tau said.
During his speech, Tau said the department will accelerate the roll out of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) programme in order to achieve better spatial equity.
“Fortunately, there are local success stories we can learn from to accelerate the SEZ model in other under-serviced areas,” he said.
He cited the Coega Industrial Development Zone, which is presently home to 63 firms, employing approximately 10 000 people and with cumulative investments of about R11.5 billion.
Tau told the NCOP that his administration will ensure that industrial opportunities resulting from policy, regulatory and private-sector decisions were maximised to enable manufacturing-led growth.
“Manufacturing induces or catalyses growth and jobs in upstream and downstream sectors. These jobs are typically permanent, pay relatively decent wages and provide workers with sustainable careers. And as you would agree, these jobs offer a sense of dignity to our citizens and communities,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Wed, 07/31/2024 - 14:42
Special Tribunal sets aside R1.6bn IDT contracts
The Special Tribunal has reviewed and set aside two Independent Development Trust (IDT) contracts, worth some R1.6 billion, and has ordered the five companies, who received the contracts, to pay back all profits gained from the contracts.
According to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the five companies were awarded the contracts by the IDT to implement projects at the Department of Correctional Services.
“The decision of the Special Tribunal… follows an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the affairs of the Department of Correctional Services.
“This investigation revealed that the IDT failed to follow the applicable statutory and regulatory procurement provisions governing public procurement as set out in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, in concluding the contracts with the companies,” the SIU said.
According to the SIU, the department had appointed the IDT as an implementing agent to “manage the implementation of security fencing, parameter fencing, intercoms and conditions audits, and other infrastructure projects at various correctional centres in South Africa”.
“Following its appointment as an implementing agent, the IDT contracted Secelec Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, Bakone Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, and Bakone Secelec Consulting JV 2011 as transactional advisors to implement the building of fences around various prisons at a cost of R492 960 564.66. The contract was later cancelled.
“In 2012, the IDT appointed Manyeleti Consulting SA (Pty) Ltd and SA Fence and Gate JV as transactional advisors for a similar job. The budget for the initial tender increased with R72 454 350.62 or 15.2%.
“However, the total budget increased to R861 255 544.40. This escalation represents 81% of the approved budget and way above the permitted 20% deviation as per the National Treasury regulations. The Tribunal found that the tender/contract award was predetermined,” the SIU explained.
The corruption busting unit welcomed the Special Tribunal’s ruling on the matter and added that any criminality will be reported to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
“The Special Tribunal had ordered the five companies to render the full accounts of all the payments they received under the contracts awarded by IDT and reasonable expenses incurred, supported by necessary vouchers.
“Following the calculations of expenditure to service the now illegal contracts, the companies shall pay whatever profits that were earned. Furthermore, the companies were ordered to cover the legal costs of the review application brought by the SIU.
“The SIU welcomes the decision of the Special Tribunal, as it forms part of the implementation of investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover financial losses suffered by the State…[and] will refer any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers to the [NPA] for further action,” the SIU said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 07/30/2024 - 12:34
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Stian de Witt, Head of Financial Planning at financial advisory firm NMG Benefits, says that having honest conversations with your financial adviser isn’t just a right; it’s a responsibility. “In much the same way that you explain your health concerns to your doctor and then question the treatment plan, you should be comfortable sharing your …
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Hundreds protest in Braamfontein
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“Taking care of yourself does not mean me first, it means me too.” ~ L.R. Knost Often, we are so busy taking care of the physical and/or emotional needs of our spouses, children, parents, and even friends – all the while juggling work and the demands of our daily lives – that the importance of …
A number of organisations that received funding from the Gauteng Department of Social Development through the Daracorp non-profit, say Daracorp never delivered on their promises
DPWI requests bi-weekly reports on reconstruction of the National Assembly
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has requested the Development Bank Of Southern Africa (DBSA) to supply his office with bi-weekly reports on the progress made in the reconstruction of Parliament’s National Assembly reconstruction site.
This also include monthly cost schedule which will be made available to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure in the interest of transparency.
This according to the department, has been requested to ensure that the contractors to the project are held to agreed upon time periods and budget.
“As someone who called the National Assembly his office for more than 10 years, it is simply heartbreaking to see what has happened to this keystone of our democracy,” said the Minister, adding that he wants to be actively involved in the reconstruction of the National Assembly building to ensure that the project is completed on time and on budget.
During his site visit on Thursday, Macpherson said the reconstruction of the National Assembly building should be moving much faster to avoid any further delay.
“We simply cannot wait any longer,” he said.
The Minister also met with the National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to discuss progress on the National Assembly’s reconstruction and efforts to expedite the construction.
He emphasised that the increased oversight would help avoid abuse of scarce public resources and encouraged members of the public to report any corruption allegations should they arise with evidence to his office to escalate and investigate.
“We have to work together to rebuild the National Assembly building in such a manner that it is protected from future disasters such as fires and theft, while at the same time making it more accessible to the public to learn about this important institution.
“The reconstruction of the National Assembly needs to honour our past while it looks to the future to stand as a testament to the strength of democracy,” Macpherson said.
A fire destroyed the historic Parliamentary buildings in January 2022.
READ | Parliamentary rebuilding project to get underway. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Fri, 07/26/2024 - 10:05
KZN social sector departments get largest chunk of budget
The KwaZulu-Natal Departments of Education, Health and Social Development have been allocated the lion’s share of the provincial budget for the 2024/25 financial year.
Presenting the provincial government budget for the 2024/25 financial year at the KZN Legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC, Francois Rodgers, announced that the bulk of the provincial budget is allocated to the social sector departments, which received 80% of the provincial budget, while the balance of 20% goes towards funding all the other votes.
“Education receives between R4.1 billion and R4.4 billion per annum over the MTEF [Medium-Term Expenditure Framework], Health receives between R2.6 billion and R2.8 billion per annum over the MTEF, [and] Social Development receives between R134 million and R144 million per annum over the MTEF,” Rodgers said.
Conditional grant allocation increase
Rodgers said the conditional grant allocation has increased by R501.3 million in 2024/25 and reduced by R989.3 million in 2025/26 and R593.5 million in 2026/27.
The budget allocated towards Ilima/Letsema Projects, under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been cut by R24.7 million in 2024/25.
The MEC said the cut is due to National Treasury reprioritising the funds towards the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
In aggregate, Rodgers said the province receives R141.4 million through two Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) conditional grants aimed at increasing job creation in the province.
Rodgers said the EPWP Integrated Grant for Provinces and the Social Sector EPWP Incentive Grant for Provinces have been reduced in 2024/25 due to National Treasury reprioritising these funds towards the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
He said these grants were cut by R42 million and R29 million, respectively, against various Votes.
The MEC said the Education Infrastructure Grant has increased by R58.1 million in 2024/25.
Rodgers noted that the grant is incentive based, and the increase is partly due to the incentive allocation where the department scored well, achieving 98% in terms of submitting planning documentation and showing capacity to spend, and thus received an incentive allocation of R89 million.
“The National School Nutrition Programme grant receives an increase of R19 million in 2024/25 to continue with the provision of nutritious meals. The budget for 2024/25 after the increase is R2.2 billion,” the MEC said.
The budget for the Health Facility Revitalisation Grant has also increased by R31.1 million in 2024/25.
Rodgers said the addition to the grant is due to incentive based and the department’s score at 99%, in terms of submitting planning documentation and showing capacity to pend and was allocated R72.9 million. The budget for Health Facility Revitalisation Grant is R1.5 billion in 2024/25.
Significant increase for Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant
The Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant has also seen a significant increase of R691.8 million in 2024/25 for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the provincial road network, as well as repairs to infrastructure damaged by floods.
“The budget for this grant is R3.2 billion after this increase and shows our commitment to improving the provincial road network,” Rodgers said.
The Human Settlements Development Grant has decreased significantly by R268.7 million in 2024/25 to be able to provide funds to the social sector for the 2023 wage agreement carry-through costs.
“The budget for this grant in 2024/25 is R2.5 billion after the budget cut. The Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership grant also had a large budget cut of R228.6 million in 2024/25, in line with National Treasury’s decision to source funds through reprioritisation to provide funds to the social sector for the 2023 wage agreement carry-through costs.
“This budget cut is carried through over the MTEF and the budget for 2024/25, after the budget cut, is R597.1 million,” Rodgers said.
The Provincial Treasury receives R7.7 million over the MTEF (R2.6 million per annum) towards the costs of upgrading the Biometrics Access Control System to strengthen its security and ransomware features, while Sport, Arts and Culture was allocated R4.1 million for the construction of a monument in honour of the 1860 arrival of the Indian indentured labourers.
“Transport requested that R3 million be suspended from their Vote in 2024/25 for allocation to Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs with respect to sourcing an airport emergency fire and rescue vehicle for the Margate Airport.
“This relates to the ongoing collaboration between these two departments to ensure the successful operation of the provincial regional airports,” Rodgers said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 07/26/2024 - 14:34
KZN works to facilitate economic growth
KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC, Francois Rodgers, says the provincial government is working hard to create an enabling environment to facilitate the growth of the economy through practical plans that focus on creating employment.
The MEC was tabling the R150.5 billion provincial government budget for the 2024/25 financial year at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.
Rodgers said the budget proposals presented, ignites hope in that resources are allocated to bring about direct change to the lives of people.
“It is evident that the provincial government is allocating financial resources to facilitate the journey towards achieving a capable and ethical developmental state. The journey will be a long bumpy road with detours and speed humps but, with the commitment of all politicians and public officials to utilise public funds wisely and effectively in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act, we will not only reach our end destination, but we will arrive with petrol in our tanks,” Rodgers said.
Good governance
Acknowledging the current socio-economic outlook and the direct impact it has on the province and its citizens, the MEC said the current administration has already started to take the necessary tough decisions to turn the tide.
“All government departments and public entities must follow the principles of good governance, good financial management; take a zero-tolerance stance against corruption, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. With tight financial controls, this will allow government to direct more funds towards service delivery.”
The MEC also urged the Heads of Departments, including chief executive officers of public entities, chief financial officers, and senior management officials, to share notes on good practice and experiences to improve the public service.
“Government departments, public entities and municipalities must strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of programmes to assess the measurable impact of the programmes over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), and to make the necessary adjustments to improve service delivery,” Rodgers said.
Rebuilding the lives of veld fires victims
While acknowledging the immense destruction due to recent veld fires that befell various parts of the province, Rodgers said the incident will not stand in the way of government to grow the province’s economy.
He noted that the destruction impacted people financially and psychologically, and it will take time for those who were affected to recover.
“Government is still assessing the full extent of the damage and the national government will make a determination on whether to declare the incidents as a provincial disaster. Provincial government has allocated resources to rebuild the lives of the victims and reinstate hope in their lives.
“We are extremely encouraged to see that social partners have come closer to partner with government in extending a helping hand to the affected communities. We implore more businesses and social partners to get on board and assist in any way that they are able,” Rodgers said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 07/26/2024 - 14:24
Expanded Public Works Programme workers lose jobs as budget is cut
Call to reform Expanded Public Works Programme
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, believes that urgent reform is needed for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to provide a sustainable pathway to permanent employment.
This follows the ongoing protest action by former EPWP employees in Ethekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.
The Minister has condemned any violence or damage to public property during the protests, particularly as it has halted key municipal service delivery such as the removal of waste which creates a health hazard.
“The EPWP program was always designed to be a short-term program to give recipients work experience and training in order for them to find permanent employment,” Macpherson said, adding that due to the stubbornly high unemployment rate in South Africa, many have grown dependent on the program, having been employed as an EPWP worker for many years.
“As mentioned during the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure budget speech last week, it is therefore imperative that the EPWP program be re-imagined to become skills outcomes-based which leads to South Africans climbing up the opportunity ladder, rather than being stuck in EPWP for years on end,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Macpherson looks forward to working with all stakeholders in the coming months to look at a better outcome for recipients nationwide.
The Expanded Public Works Programme is one of the government’s strategies to alleviate poverty through the creation of work opportunities using labour-intensive methods. The programme is implemented in four sectors namely: infrastructure, social, environment and culture, and non-state.
All spheres of government and state-owned entities are expected to implement the programme.
The EPWP participants (beneficiaries) work on different projects such as the Community Work Programme (CWP), Early Childhood Development Programmes, Home Community Based Care Programmes, Extra School Support Programmes, Working on Fire, Working for Water and roads maintenance projects.
Since its inception on 01 April 2004 to 31 March 2022, more than 13 million work opportunities have been created in the EPWP space across all spheres of government. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Thu, 07/25/2024 - 10:01
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Head of Department claims the Auditor-General has distanced itself from previous statements to GroundUp. The Auditor-General says this is not true
Department works to secure water for all
The Ministry and Department of Water and Sanitation, under the new administration, has committed to continue to ensure the implementation of all water projects without delay, and improved water and sanitation services.
Giving an update on the progress made in the water projects, which were previously delayed, Water and Sanitation spokesperson, Wisani Mavasa said in order to ensure water security, government is focusing on investing in additional national water resource infrastructure. This includes building awareness of the need to use water sparingly, and improving municipal water and sanitation services.
Mavasa acknowledged that in the past, water projects have been subjected to unacceptable delays.
However, good progress has since been made in recent years in unblocking and accelerating the delayed projects.
She highlighted that there are currently 14 major national water resource infrastructure projects valued at more than R100 billion, which are in different stages of implementation around the country.
Among the projects which have been unblocked, include the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase Two, uMkhomazi Water Project and the raising of the wall of the Hazelmere Dam in KwaZulu Natal, construction of Ntabelanga Dam on the uMzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape.
This also includes the raising of the Clanwilliam Dam wall in Western Cape, the Giyani Water Supply Project in Limpopo, and the Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply Project in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
“In addition to unblocking and accelerating these projects, Parliament recently passed the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency Bill, which will result in the establishment of an agency with a balance sheet which will enable substantially more funds to be raised for investment in national water resource infrastructure,” Mavasa said.
Water supply disruptions
Mavasa noted an increase in water supply disruptions in Gauteng and in eThekwini, which has resulted in hardship for residents.
According to the department, the demand for water in both areas is largely due to population growth.
The growth in demand was anticipated by planners, and new national water resource infrastructure projects were planned to meet it, unfortunately, the start of the projects was delayed.
“The new Polihali Dam and associated infrastructure, which is part of Phase Two of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, was due to be completed in 2019 to enable additional water to be supplied to the Integrated Vaal River System, which in turn is the main source of water for Gauteng.
“This project was unblocked, and the main contracts were all awarded in October 2022 and construction is now fully underway and is due to be completed by 2028.
“Similarly, the start of the uMkhomazi project to supply additional water to eThekwini and surrounding municipalities was delayed by nine years, due to concerns about its affordability in terms of the tariffs that would have to be charged to the residents of eThekwini. The affordability problem was resolved in 2023 with the approval by National Treasury of an application by DWS, with the support of the Presidential Infrastructure Fund, for a blended finance solution for the funding of the project which made the tariff more affordable,” she explained.
Among the solutions reached included a 25% interest-free loan and a 25% grant from the national fiscus, and this enabled the eThekwini Municipal Council to approve the water supply agreement on 31 January 2024.
The department has now started to raise the finance for the project and to commence with implementation. Work on the design of the dam and tunnel for the uMkhomazi project has started.
The department also noted the delays in a project to raise the Hazelmere Dam wall to further increase water supply to eThekwini Municipality and surrounding areas in KwaZulu-Natal, which started in 2011. This was due to contractual disputes between the department and the main contractor.
“The contract with the main contractor was terminated in 2018, resulting in a halt to the project. This was resolved in 2021, and the project was completed in 2023.”
Ntabelanga and Clanwilliam Dam upgrades
The department further noted that the construction of Ntabelanga Dam on a tributary of the uMzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape, which was planned to provide additional water for domestic and irrigation use was delayed because the department was unable to successfully motivate for a budget to be allocated to the project.
“The department resolved this blockage in 2023, by reconfiguring the project to reduce its cost while still providing the same benefits. The reconfiguration involved adopting a brown fields approach to water services infrastructure rather than the previous green fields (upgrading existing bulk water supply infrastructure rather than build new infrastructure).
“The reconfiguration of the project resulted in a decrease in the cost of the project from R18 billion to R8 billion, and National Treasury then agreed to fund the reconfigured project from the fiscus. As a result, site preparations and the process to obtain the license to construct the dam are currently underway and construction of the dam wall will commence by October 2024.”
A project to raise the wall of the Clanwilliam Dam in the Western Cape, resulting in a tripling of the volume of water than can be stored in the dam, was also started in 2013, but the implementation of the project was delayed due to budget constraints and several changes in construction approach.
As a result, by 2023 the project was only 10% complete. The delays have since been addressed, and the project is now fully funded and major construction work is currently underway.
Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply project
The major Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply project to increase water supply to Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in Mpumalanga and the Moutse-East area under the Sekhukhune District Municipality in Limpopo, has since been unblocked with construction having begun in 2022.
The project was originally planned to commence in 2019 but was delayed because of funding constraints and poor planning by the department.
The construction of a new bulk pipeline from Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga to Thembisile Hani Local Municipality and associated infrastructure is also underway.
Giyani Water Supply project
The Giyani Water Supply Project, which has been delayed for many years, and been the subject of investigations by the Special Investigations Unit, has since been unblocked and accelerated over the last two years.
Mavasa highlighted that the main bulk pipeline from Nandoni Dam to Nsami Dam near Giyani was completed last year, and projects are currently underway to refurbish and increase the capacity of the Giyani Water Treatment Works and to install bulk reticulation lines, bulk reservoirs, service reservoirs and reticulation to households.
“Water has started to flow to households in nine of villages in Giyani and we will strive to ensure a further 15 villages receive water by the end of August this year, and that a further 31 villages receive water within the next two years.”
Water Services Amendment Bill
In addition to assisting municipalities to improve their water and sanitation infrastructure, the department has proposed amendments to the Water Services Act, to address the poor municipal performance illustrated by the results of the Blue, Green and no Drop reports which were issued in December 2023.
“The Water Services Amendment Bill will be submitted to Cabinet shortly for approval for it to be tabled in Parliament.”
Improvement in issuing of water use licence
Meanwhile, the department’s turnaround plan for the issuing of water use licences has seen an improvement in performance from 35% of applications being processed within 90 days to 70% being processed within 90 days.
“In addition, the backlog of more than a thousand applications has been largely eradicated, with no more than 100 applications which have taken longer than 90 days to process,” Mavasa said.
The department has committed that further improvement towards the President’s 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA) target of processing all applications within 90 days, will be achieved during this financial year. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 07/24/2024 - 10:53
President outlines process to establish SOEs Holding Company
With government moving full steam ahead with plans to establish a holding company for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation has been assigned the responsibility to finalise the processes.
“The SOEs that were previously under the stewardship of the Department of Public Enterprises will report to their respective line departments in terms of policy and regulatory matters,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday in Parliament.
Responding to the debate on the Presidency Budget Vote speech, the President reiterated that government is introducing legislation to establish a state-owned holding company to oversee and coordinate key strategic SOEs.
“The legislation will assign the functions of the holding company, which will cover issues of governance, financial management, remuneration standards and similar matters.
“This is in line with global best practice and is the approach taken by many countries with SOEs that successfully fulfil a social and economic development mandate.
“While some in this House might be dismissive of the work being coordinated in the Presidency, let us not lose sight of what these measures mean for the everyday lives of South African citizens. They mean more affordable and reliable electricity, cleaner water, efficient trains and lower data costs,” President Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, turning to other issues, the President said with just a small team of dedicated officials in the Presidency and National Treasury working closely with a wide range of government departments and entities, the President said the reforms implemented through Operation Vulindlela have had a measurable impact on growth and investment.
“These structural reforms are in the most strategic and critical sectors of our economy, as I indicated yesterday. They are in energy, in logistics, in telecommunications, in visa reform and in water.
“The reforms that are underway in the water sector – like reinstituting water quality monitoring systems, developing a raw water pricing strategy, and establishing a Water Partnerships Office to develop water infrastructure – have direct and material benefits for service delivery,” the President said.
Improved water infrastructure ensures more reliable and sustainable water supply while water quality management systems mean cleaner water and a reduced health risk.
“The ultimate beneficiary is the people of South Africa, and strengthening and enhancing the economy of our country,” the President said.
He said the reforms being implemented are laying a robust foundation for sustained economic and social progress.
“We have noted calls for programmes to involve young unemployed people in various forms of work, training and development. Contrary to some suggestions in the debate, we do have such programmes.
“These include the successful National Rural Youth Service Corps programme – known as NARYSEC – which provides opportunities to unemployed rural youth. We also spoke yesterday about other public and social employment programmes that have a large number of young participants.
“The challenge we have now is to scale up these programmes within available resources to ensure that they have a greater reach and impact,” the President said.
Size of the Executive
On the matter of the size of the Executive, the President said at this moment in South Africa’s history, the country faces complex and urgent challenges, which require strong coordination from the centre of government.
“While we continue to seek ways to use the resources of the state optimally, we have also had to ensure that we achieve inclusivity and balance. We believe that this is important for ensuring governance outcomes that serve the interests of all South Africans.
“Most importantly, we will ensure that the machinery of government works efficiently, and that it is used to advance the people’s interests and improve their lives.
“We will ensure that we reduce waste, rationalise and restructure our state-owned entities, and continue to direct the majority of our budget towards sustaining the social wage and investing in infrastructure,” the President said.
He said now more than ever, government must demonstrate what the people of South Africa can achieve when they work together.
“We must seize the opportunity that this Government of National Unity presents to restore these people’s trust in our democracy, and to realise the promise of dignity and equality that is contained in our Constitution.
“Five years from now, let us be able to say that we have made a difference in the lives of our people. Let us ensure that we take our beautiful country closer to the society of which we have all dreamed. And let us make sure that we leave no-one behind,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
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Wed, 07/24/2024 - 15:32