Govt Plans To Streamline Grant System To Assist Municipalities

The government plans to streamline the grant system to reduce duplication and administrative burdens in municipalities. The proposed measures include merging water reticulation grants into a unified water infrastructure fund and consolidating energy grants, among other measures.

This comes as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is set to deliver the 2025 national budget on Wednesday next week.

Local government experts have hailed proposed plans by the National Treasury to look at streamlining and consolidating some of the grants.

Local government expert and Group Chief Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group, Miyelani Holeni, says municipalities with particular needs around water, electricity and infrastructure should be able to benefit.

Those municipalities that have particular needs, especially with, you know, water, especially on the electricity side and infrastructure, in general, should be able to benefit by having a consolidated fund as opposed to tapping into one fund which they have to then show as a budget input."