The Gauteng provincial government plans to use claims against the Road Accident Fund (RAF) for the treatment of road accident victims in public hospitals in the province as one of the income streams to pay for its almost R20 billion e-toll-related debt and financial commitments. Gauteng MEC of finance and economic development Lebogang Maile confirmed this earlier this month when the provincial government announced it was paying its first e-toll debt instalment.
This was in line with an agreement with the National Treasury that facilitated the scrapping of e-tolls on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project at midnight on 12 April this year. Maile cited claims from the RAF as an example of one of the provincial government's revenue enhancement measures to ensure the province increases and optimises its revenue.
He said that when a person is injured in a road accident in Gauteng and treated at a public hospital in the province, the RAF is supposed to pay the provincial government for those medical expenses.
"But for the longest time we have not been collecting that money the way we are supposed to because we've not had the proper systems. It's what I call a leakage. We use money and we are supposed to be repaid and we don't get paid," he said.
Maile said that also people from different provinces come to Gauteng, and if they are treated at public hospitals in the province, in terms of the law the Gauteng provincial government is supposed to charge the provinces these patients are from for these medical expenses.
"I'm just giving you an example of money we are not collecting, which we will soon be collecting.
"That alone is about R10 billion, which should be in our coffers," he said.
Maile said the Gauteng government is “constantly” engaging with the RAF about payment for these medical expenses.
Bu hikaye The Citizen dergisinin October 16, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Citizen dergisinin October 16, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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