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Editorial Comment

Free State Budgets
The 2005/6 Budget Speeches delivered by the MEC's for various Free State provincial departments the past six weeks offered little to get excited about. The overall impression is one of “welfare” instead of “growth”.
The most positive aspect about these Budget speeches is that they were delivered at various decentralized venues in the province - Phuthaditjhaba, Welkom, Sasolburg, etc. The Free State Legislature took provincial parliament to the people, which is highly commendable.
For the rest, the primary department for inducing economic growth and development in the province, the Dept. of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs, received only 3,1% more than last year, bringing its total amount to R210 million. In comparison, the Free State Treasury, a basically administering Department, received more than 50% of that amount, with the Premier's Department, also basically in an administering capacity, almost 50% more. In similar vein, the budget of another department with growth-induced potential, the Dept. of Agriculture, remains also rather static. A positive element, however, is that the budget of the Dept. of Public Works, Roads & Transport, which has the mandate to execute the main part of the Free State leg of the Extended Public Works Programme, seems better packaged as regard growth-induced delivery.
The point is that it would seem that the time is overdue that the provincial departmental budgets be structured and utilized to induce, lead and trigger economic growth and social development in the Free State with its vast unemployment, poverty and imbalance between the well to do and the have nots.
Another negative feature of the provincial budgets is too much provision for bureaucratic maintenance, too many posts with unavoidably below average productivity. A leaner, more muscular provincial workforce would do the province a lot of good.
Lastly, there is little evidence of much-needed synergy with the business sector. The content of the various budgets does not even get properly conveyd to the business sector at large in the Free State, how can they then be expected to cooperate with and support the objectives of the provincial government?

Hierdie uitgawe
Hierdie uitgawe van die Vrystaat Sake Bulletin bevat heelwat inligting en perspektiewe op besigheid en ontwikkeling in die Vrystaat en trouens in sentraal SA - wat nêrens anders so spesifiek te lees is of aangebied word nie - vanaf die Botshabelo Crafts Centre tot 'n snoesige winterskantoor en vanaf onderhoude met sleutelpersone tot insette van belowende opkomende sakelui.
Mag ons lesers dit van waarde vind!

Bulletin Weekly
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