Pretoria - In the first quarter of 2010, South Africa's provinces spent more than in the same period last year, says the Treasury.
Provinces spent 22.9 percent or R75.7 billion of their budgets of R329.8 billion for the first quarter of the 2010-11 financial year, which ended on 30 June.
This was R3.5 billion higher than for the same period last year, said Treasury on Thursday.
Education expenditure totalled R33.2 billion, or 24.1 percent, of the R137.4-billion combined education budgets. Education remains the largest item on provincial budgets accounting for 41.7 percent.
Provinces spent R23.3 billion of their R98.4 billion combined health budgets. This is 11.5 percent or R2.4 billion increase compared to the same time last year.
For the first quarter of 2010 social development spending amounted R2.1 billion of the R 10.2 billion social development budget while personnel expenditure is at R45.8 billion of the R185.7 billion budget.
"In aggregate, provinces spent 16.4 percent or R4.2 billion of their R25.4 billion combined capital budgets. This is a decline of 21.2 percent when compared to the same period in 2009/10," said Treasury.
Provincial health departments improved on capital spending in the first quarter, spending 18.5 percent or R1.6 billion against their R8.8 billion health capital budgets, which is 7.3 percent or R111.3 million more than the same period for 2009/10.
The second highest share of provincial capital budgets after health is Public Works, Roads and Transport Departments at 29.2 percent.
"Provincial own revenue collected thus far is at 21.9 percent or R2.1 billion of the total own revenue budget of R9.5 billion. National government has transferred R65.2 billion of the equitable share and R15.9 billion in conditional grants to provinces, during the first quarter of the 2010/11 financial year," said Treasury.
