GAUTENG PREMIER PLEDGES REVIEW OF COMMUNICATION EXPENDITURE

In response to DA questions this morning at a Gauteng Legislature committee meeting, Gauteng Premier David Makhura said that he would review high budget expenditure by his office on communication.

According to figures tabled at the Oversight Committee on the Premier's Office and Legislature (OCPOL), R22 million is budgeted for "profiling the work of government", R6 million for "introduction of new government" and R2.5 million for State of the Province Address.

According to the Office of the Premier, most of this is for advertising.

I welcome the Premier's commitment to review this matter as spending more than R30 million on communication is clearly excessive, particularly on billboards that look like ANC election advertisements.

All unnecessary spending should be purged from the provincial budget, which should be directed to service delivery as the highest priority.

Statement by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Member of the Gauteng Legislature's Oversight Committee on the Premier's Office and Legislature (OCPOL), July 9 2014

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