KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works Ravi Pillay will today Tuesday, 11 June 2013 presents his Budget Speech Votes for the two respective portfolios.
Among the highlights of the two Budget Speech Votes include the Department of Human Settlements’ unveiling of plans to fast-track delivery of interim services to informal settlements such as Kennedy Road as well as the implementation of the recently-launched KZN Rental Housing Strategic Plan.
The Budget Vote Speech comes in the wake of the Department of Human Settlements’ remarkable achievement in spending its entire R2, 9 billion housing development budget allocation during the 2012/13 financial year.
In the Human Settlements speech MEC Pillay will inform the House that the department managed to spend its full budget and in the process delivered 25,940 housing units in the 2012/13 financial year. In the 2013/14 financial year the department’s goal is to deliver 27 382 housing units.
The department plans to spend in the region of R3.15 billion in housing development out of a total budget of R3.55 billion.
MEC Pillay will also make statements on the department’s revised strategies in addressing the challenges of informal settlements, social housing, the gap market and community residential units among others.
Partnerships with municipalities are critical to service delivery and MEC Pillay will demonstrate that the department is active across the length and breadth of the KwaZulu-Natal province from cities and towns to the deepest rural communities.
In the Public Works domain, MEC will highlight how the department is well on its way to becoming the implementing agent of choice for its sister departments.
The department’s 2013/14 budget is R1.26 billion. MEC Pillay will use the Public Works budget speech to highlight the fact that KZN has among the highest number of contractors registered on the CIDB database in the country.
The department also established a Contractor Development Forum to address issues within the Provincial mandate which hamper the development of emerging contractors.
The Public Works MEC will also point out that over the years various programmes have been introduced to address the question of scarce professional skills in among others architecture, quantity surveying and civil engineering. Significant outcomes have been achieved and a number of professionals coming through the programmes have been appointed by the department.
In addition, the Public Works Budget Speech Vote will also unpack the lead coordinating role to be played by the department in infrastructure development in the Province so as to stimulate economic development and job creation.
The speeches may be viewed at http://www.livestreamsa.co.za/datacentrix. The Human Settlements speech is scheduled to go live on this site at 10H00 and the Public Works speech at 13h30. Copies of the full texts will be available on the websites of both departments.
Date: Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Venue: KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Building, Pietermaritzburg
Time: 9h30 – Human Settlements Budget Vote Policy Speech
12h30 – Public Works Budget Vote Policy Speech
For more information please contact:
Mbulelo Baloyi
Cell: 079 871 3915
