Kzn to Cut R1bn in Spending

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu says the provincial government will make spending cuts worth over R1 billion in the first year of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

Delivering the State of the Province Address in Pietermaritzburg, Premier Mchunu said this was necessary in light of the muted economic growth forecast.

As such, the combination of factors like high debt service costs, high costs of compensation of employees and contracting tax base, places a severe strain on the fiscus.

The emerging consensus is that unless we reduce public spending, we will have trouble in many fronts and at different levels, Premier Mchunu warned.

He said the subdued economic situation has impacted negatively on government revenue streams.

Our message to the people of KwaZulu-Natal today is that we must be full of hope and use this opportunity to gather strength physically and mentally to propel ourselves further with much vigour, and...