Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Question by:
Hon Tertuis Simmers
Answered by:
Hon Anton Bredell
Question Number:
2
Question Body:
Over the last 15 years, R1,8 billion has been raised by the plastic-bag levy:
- Whether funds raised through the plastic-bag levy are ring-fenced; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- (a) what amount of the plastic-bag levy has been allocated to recycling projects nationally, (b) what amount of the levy has been spent on recycling projects within the province and (c) what are the relevant details of the recycling projects in the province?
Answer Body:
- The information contained in this response was obtained through consultation with the national Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and National Treasury. The levy is not ring-fenced; it is paid into the National Revenue Fund. This is a general fund from which appropriations are made, and there is no earmarking of funds collected, therefore, it is not possible to draw a direct link between the amounts collected for a specific tax or levy with any specific expenditure.
- (a) R1 666 841 123 of the DEA’s total allocation as appropriated from the National Revenue Fund was set aside since 2004/5 to 2016/17 for waste minimization and recycling initiatives.
(b) Nothing of the above DEA allocation was spent in the Western Cape on recycling projects or waste minimization projects. The table below shows a breakdown of the revenue linked to the plastic-bag levy as provided by National Treasury.
- The total amount collected of R 1 442 884 000 as at the end on 2016/17.
|
Year |
Plastic bag levy collected by SARS (R ‘000) |
|
2004/05 |
41 214 |
|
2005/06 |
61 385 |
|
2006/07 |
75 128 |
|
2007/08 |
86 314 |
|
2008/09 |
78 563 |
|
2009/10 |
110 510 |
|
2010/11 |
258 222 |
|
2011/12 |
53 832 |
|
2012/13 |
150 817 |
|
2013/14 |
169 243 |
|
2014/15 |
174 298 |
|
2015/16 |
183 358 |
|
2016/17 |
231 875 |
|
TOTAL |
1 442 884 |
Date:
Thursday, April 26, 2018
