Moneyweb reports that in the nine months to the end of December, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) had spent just R9.5 million of its R68.2 million allocated project budget (including professional fees) for 2020/21.

The programme operates under the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and provides work opportunities for the unskilled, unemployed, poor and vulnerable (including the disabled) through job creation projects. Work in areas such as early childhood development, home/community-based care, community work and road maintenance are targeted. The Covid-19 crisis contributed to a sharp reduction in the number of people who were able to participate last year. According to the programme’s 2020/21 third quarter report, it created 515,862 work opportunities between April and December 2020. This was 42.7% lower than the 837,689 work opportunities created between April and December 2019. “Covid-19 did affect implementation of certain projects. Fewer numbers of projects were reported in quarter 3 of 2020/21 which could be attributed to the Covid-19 lockdown regulations,” said Carmen-Joy Abrahams, the programme’s acting deputy director-general. Nonetheless, the EPWP remains a key part of the government’s plans to tackle the fallout of the crisis. This can be seen in it being an essential part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, the state’s effort to boost the economy.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Palesa Mofokeng at Moneyweb <https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/expanded-public-works-programme-suffers-massive-contraction/>

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