This, as the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Finance will continue considering the Appropriation Bill for various departments following the tabling of the Province’s 2021/22 budget earlier this week. The MEC for Finance, Gadija Brown, on Tuesday tabled the Province’s R38,6 billion for the 2021/22 financial year. Two of the biggest Free State departments – Education and Health – subsequently received the bulk of the province’s budget with Education being allocated an amount over R15,4 billion while the Health Department will receive R12,135 billion in 2021/22. 

The MECs for the two departments, alongside that of Social Development, Agriculture, Public Works as well as Human Settlements, will on Friday be expected to account for the state of their departments and financial needs before the Committee.

OFM News yesterday reported that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Treasury, the Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, as well as the office of the Premier, are amongst those that had to answer tough questions over their financial woes.

The Committee, led by the Chief Whip of the Free State Legislature, Vusi Tshabalala, is adamant that departments have to account for their state of departments and outline their plan of actions to improve service delivery.

OFM News