Johannesburg - Provinces spent R152.6bn or 46.3% of their main budgets of R329.8bn for the first half of the 2010/11 financial year, the Treasury reported on Friday.
This represents a spending increase of 4.9% or R7.1bn compared to the same period last year, when provinces had spent R145.5bn.
Education expenditure totalled R65.5bn or 47.6% of the R137.4bn of combined education budgets, and remains the largest item in provincial budgets at 41.7%.
This is an increase of 11.1% or R6.5bn, on the same period last year.
Health expenditure totalled R46.3bn or 47.1% of the R98.4bn combined health budgets, and at 29.8% is the second largest item on provincial budgets. This is an increase of 9.1% or R3.9bn on the same period last year.
Social development spending is recorded at R4.3bn, or 42.3% of the R10.2bn social development budgets.
Personnel expenditure, in aggregate, is at R91.6bn or 49.3% of the budgeted R185.7bn.
In aggregate, provinces spent R8.4bn, or 33.1%, of their R25.4bn combined capital budgets. This is a decline of 23.5% when compared to the same period in 2009/10.
http://www.fin24.com/Economy/South-Africa/Provinces-underspend-again-20101119