Despite loose spending pressures and reductions, the budget remains strongly redistributive and we note and support that about 68% of consolidated expenditure goes towards social commitments including education, health, social grants and basic services.
These services and transfers, provided by all spheres of government, will enable South Africans to access socioeconomic opportunities and reclaim their dignity which the apartheid system eroded over the years and centuries.
We welcome the fact that since the launch of the sanitation appropriate for education, SAFE, Initiative in August 2018, 699 schools have been provided with safe sanitation facilities and a further 1 150 schools are due to receive similar safe sanitation
facilities. We look forward to a complete eradication of unsafe and inappropriate sanitation facilities in the next three years.
The budget also provides for the National Health Insurance, NHI, which remains a priority of government. The National Health Insurance will enable South Africans to receive free services at a point of care in public and private quality accredited health facilities. By applying the principle of social solidarity and cross subsidisation, the NHI will reduce the inequality in access to healthcare.
This major policy intervention is inline with our Constitution which calls for access to health for all. Government social protection system has assisted greatly in reducing poverty and inequality by providing social grants and welfare services for vulnerable groups. We note that in this current economic climate there are some families who survive on these much needed social grants. We therefore acknowledge the submission by all stakeholders including the one by the Pietermaritzburg Pensioners Forum. We expect the relevant committee in this House to follow up on the issues raised by the pensioners forum.
On the state-owned enterprises we welcome transformative measures that are being put in place to improve governance, strengthen leadership and bring about stability. Parliament will have to vigorously monitor the implementation of ... [Time expired.] We support the report, Chairperson.