The Department of Water and Sanitation has been allocated an amount of R134.909-billion over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Presenting the department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Friday, Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Mojodima, said the budget includes allocations of R42.604-billion, R46.362-billion and R45.941-billion in the 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years respectively.
The department’s budget consists of two components, including the main account and water trading entity.
Two components – main account
“On the main account, the department has been allocated R72.989-billion over the MTEF. This consists of allocations of R24.074-billion, R25.159-billion and R23.754-billion. These are in the 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 period respectively.
“Included in the main account budget are conditional infrastructure grants for municipal water services totalling R36.305-billion over the MTEF. This includes R20.130-billion for the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant. And also R16.175-billion for the Water Services Infrastructure Grant,” Majodima explained.
She noted that the water trading entity is mostly funded through revenue collection from the sale of water. But it also receives some transfers from the fiscus for infrastructure projects.
Water trading entity
The water trading entity has been allocated R61.920-billion over the MTEF, including R18.530- billion. Also R21.202-billion and R22.187-billion in 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 respectively.
The department, said the minister, will make every effort to ensure that the resources are deployed as efficiently as possible. This in order “to ensure that service delivery reaches our communities”.
The department will also continue to clear all its historic incidents of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Tzhis in collaboration with National Treasury and law enforcement agencies.
Fight against corruption, under-expenditure
The minister committed the department to a zero tolerance to corruption and ensuring the promotion of good governance.
“In recent years, the department has successfully reduced its under-expenditure against its budget. In 2021/22 there was R2.5-billion under-expenditure (which equals to 14.3% of the budget). And in 2022/23 there was R860-million under-expenditure (5% of the budget). In 2023/24 there was R44-million under-expenditure (0.2% of the budget).
“It is our intention to eradicate under-expenditure altogether and achieve 100% expenditure of our budget. This [pertains to] the current financial year. It will be done by making our infrastructure procurement processes more efficient and effective. And by improving our management of allocations to projects during the financial year,” Majodima said.
- SAnews.gov.za
