Municipalities are allocated R44.490 billion or 9 per cent of the nationally raised revenues in the 2014/15 financial year excluding conditional grants and the sharing of the general fuel levy. The local government equitable share increases by R4.701 billion or 11.8 per cent from a revised estimate of R39.789 billion in the 2013/14 financial year to a budget allocation of R44.490 billion in 2014/15. Over the medium term the local government equitable share increases to reach R52.869 billion in 2016/17. Given the significant disparities in municipal tax bases, over 50 per cent of local government funding allocations are directed to rural local and rural district municipalities.