And the bad news for motorists is that the controversial e-toll remains.
As expected education and health got bigger chunks R36bn and R43bn, respectively.
“Firstly, reprioritisation remains crucial in directing resources to the radical transformation, modernisation and re-industrialisation (TMR) programme of the Gauteng city region,” Creecy said.
To date, R7.3 billion had been re-directed to these city region priorities.
In a cost saving strategy, Creecy, announced a 21 percent cost reduction on venues and facilities, 1.5 percent on travel and subsistence, seven percent on communication, nine percent on catering, 0.5 percent on advertising, and 25 percent on administration fees.
“Over the 2015 MTEF (medium-term expenditure framework), we expect own revenue to increase by an annual average of 10 percent.
“I am happy to announce that we expect to exceed our 2014/15 revenue target by R400 million, a welcome boost in these tough times,” Creecy said.
R3.1bn has been allocated for infrastructure funding in the central development corridor – which focused on the financial sector, ICT, and pharmaceutical industries.
The western development corridor would get R1.4bn to focus on new blue and green economic initiatives, tourism, agro-processing, and logistics.
Barba Gaoganediwe, Gauteng Tourism head of communications says they’re happy with the outcome of the budget, having considered river tourism as one five developmental corridors to be identified.
“As we all know Vaal tourism has low tourism volumes, Gauteng as a whole, will be used as Inland Coastline to conscientious traffic flow to the area.”
“As part of the Governments’s Five Corridors Developmental Strategy, this would help us as the marketing agency of the province, to fully utilize what is at our disposal such as the Rosslyn BMW Manufacturing plant (Tshwane) that is producing the only left- handed vehicles in the country for import, Ekurhuleni-aerotropolis; heritage sites-Cradle of Humankind, and so forth.”
Such places will be now marketed as tourism destinations, he says.
As part of the southern corridor, anchored around river tourism and agro-processing, a budget of R1.5bn has been allocated.
For detailed information on budget speech visit: www.finance.gpg.gov.za
