The Provincial Treasury issued an Instruction Note, 1 of 2012, which tightened controls and restricted expenditure on certain non-core expenditure items such as travel and subsistence, accommodation, catering, usage of external conference facilities, mobile phones and 3G cards, printing and overtime work. A template was developed by Provincial Treasury to enable departments to report on compliance with the abovementioned cost containment measures. Due to the austerity measures, the Province had saved R199.2 million, which was re-allocated during the budget adjustment process to fund critical priority shortfalls in the Department of Education and the personnel costs in the Department of Health.