Mpumalanga gets nod for being finance savvy

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Pretoria - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has commended Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza for handling the finances of the provincial government well.

“What is commendable is the Premier’s proactive approach that says, ‘we are now living in a challenging economic environment, with no abundance of fiscal resources available. Therefore, we must live within our means, as a provincial government’.

“We must undertake as many savings as we can. We must not put unnecessary pressure on the national fiscal,” said Minister Gordhan.

Speaking at a media briefing following his meeting with the Premier and executive council on Tuesday, Minister Gordhan said while the province still needs to pay attention to certain issues like coal haulage, the provincial finances are well run.

Minister Gordhan said Mpumalanga has a huge economic potential, especially in tourism.

During his meeting with the Premier and the executive council, the Minister said while the country’s economy is not going into recession, it is not doing “extremely well”.

This requires both the national and provincial governments to work together to improve growth prospects.

Premier Mabuza said there is a need for the provincial government to avoid wastages. – SAnews.gov.za