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The Eastern Cape Provincial Government had spent only 10.3% of its total capital budget for the 2012/13 financial year by the end of the first quarter, according to figures released by National Treasury.
Of a total capital budget of R3.1 billion, the Eastern Cape had spent R322.6 million by the end of June.
Education had spent R74.4 million or 7.7% of its capital budget of R960.2 million by the end of the first quarter, while Health had spent R104.1 million or 11.3% of its capital budget of just under R925.1 million.
The other department with a sizeable capital budget, Roads and Public Works, has also got off to a slow start having spent R116.5 million or 11.7% of its capital budget of R998.3 million by the end of the first quarter.
Current payments in total for the first quarter average 23.2%, with only Health in line to overspend at this stage having spent 25.4% of its current budget of R13.9 billion this ignores accruals from previous financial years.
Spending has also got off to a slow start as far as the Human Settlements Development Grant is concerned, with the department having spent R242 .3 mil-lion in the first quarter of a total budget of R2.3 billion.
National Treasury has been particularly severe on this grant, re-allocating funds to other provinces if there is any indication that a province will not spend the funds it has been given.
Health had also only spent R46.3 million of its R402.7 million Hospital Revitalisation Grant by the end of June, although the department was essentially on track with spending on its just over R1 billion Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Grant.
Education is largely in line with spending on the National School Nutrition Programme Grant of R903.6 million but has only spent R694 000 of its R30 million Technical Secondary Schools Recapitalisation Grant.
Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture had spent R7.9 million of its R78 million Community Services Library Grant by the end of the first quarter.
(Source: Metro Minute - to subscribe mail metminutes@iafrica.com)
