The North West Provincial Government has disputed claims regarding its budget expenditure for the 2024/25 financial year, after reports indicated that it would return R383 million to the National Treasury.
This is after an opposition party noted that while most provincial departments spent between 98% and 99% of their allocated budgets, which aligns with acceptable spending norms, the province’s underspending still amounts to a significant R383 million.
According to the party, this underspending includes considerable shortfalls in key departments.
The party has called on the North West Provincial Government to account for the R383 million in underspending for the 2024/25 financial year.
However, the provincial government confirmed that, according to the preliminary audit outcomes for 2024/25, 99.29% of its R54.2 billion budget was spent, which translates to a total expenditure of R53.9 billion.
“This is a much-improved performance compared to the previous financial year, with only two departments spending below a threshold of 95%.
“The under-expenditure of R383 million, which is made up of R176 million of the equitable share, will be retained by the province.”
The provincial government stated that the remaining amount, approximately R207 million, will roll over into the 2025/26 financial year.
“Already, National Treasury has approved R172 million, which will be re-appropriated through the November adjustment budget. These funds will be used for various infrastructure projects to address service delivery challenges and create various socio-economic opportunities for locals.
“Therefore, there is no R383 million which is going to be returned to National Treasury, as alleged by some in the mainstream and social media platforms.” – SAnews.gov.za
