JOHANNESBURG - Everyone has ideas about how best taxes should be spent.
Should more money be allocated to health? But what about education and even the fight against crime?
In the current financial year, South Africa spends the most on debt repayments.
That’s because government spends a lot more than it collects in taxes.
Almost a quarter of our taxes goes towards these repayments.
The next biggest expense is social development.
This includes the old age grant, the child support grant and, more recently, the Social Relief of Distress Grant.
Basic education is the next biggest line item and currently costs the country about R330-billion.
The police get just over R133-billion, while the army has to make do with just under R60-billion.
The coming year will have its own challenges. This includes money to battle foot and mouth disease and funds to modernise the army.
It’s also an election year, which means money will most likely be found to try and make voters happy.
- eNCA’s Heidi Giokos reports.