Govt to spend trillion rand on infrastructure – Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the third budget, which will be tabled later this month, will involve a lot of money being invested in infrastructure.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will table his third attempt at a national budget in Parliament on 21 May.
Ramaphosa launched phase two of Operation Vulindlela at the Union Building on Wednesday.
"The budget will, to a large extent, be different from what we have had in past years. It's a budget that's going to commit a lot of money also to infrastructure,” the president said.
"We are now going to be able to spend up to a trillion rand on infrastructure over the medium term,
"Growth is the only way to achieve fiscal sustainability and social progress in our country. And this budget will speak to that," he added.
The reform is part of the second phase of a government programme called Operation Vulindlela -- "clear the path" in Zulu -- launched in 2020 to modernise key network industries including electricity, water and transport.
"The days of standing by and watching while taps in our townships or factories run dry or raw sewage runs into our rivers are over," Ramaphosa said.
The new plan proposes to improve the provision of basic services such as water and electricity through professional utilities, including from the private sector.
The providers "should have the right technical skills, strong regulation and oversight, and should be rid of any form of corruption and have full control of their billing and revenue functions," Ramaphosa said.
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