What's in the budget for 2012?

South Africa's first R1 trillion budget: Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's proposed 2012/13 Budget exceeds R1 trillion -- R1.06 trillion -- for the first time ever, with the bulk of spending, R615.7 billion, earmarked for social services. SEE SUMMARY OF the 2012 BUDGET SPEECH >>

"We have to say to our people that economic uncertainty will be with us for some time, yet we have a programme of economic change that can steadily roll back unemployment, poverty, and inequality. Click here to read the full story

• PETROL PRICE

- Levies to push up petrol price. The general fuel levy will increase by 20 cents a litre of petrol and diesel from April 4. Click here for more

• GAUTENG TOLL FEES

- WE ARE TOLD TO PAY UP: Gauteng freeway tolling will be introduced in April which will see ordinary motorists charged 30 cents a kilometre . Click here for more

- COSATU RETALIATES: Defy this thing, drive through the public roads. We will not be used as a cash-cow to profit some foreign investors. Click here for more

- TOLL FEES EXTREMELY GENEROUS - GORDHAN: This is the best that government can do. It is a demonstration of the fact that government is not insensitive to concerns raised by the public. Click here for more

• JOBS

No good news for jobs plans for young people. Click here for more

• EDUCATION

- Extra cost for education and health. Spending on education to grow from R207 billion in 2012/13, to R236 billion in 2014/15. Click here for more

- R18 billion boost to drive learner access to Grade R. Click here for more

• HEALTH

The allocation to health makes up about 12.2% of the R1.06 trillion budget. The department has been allocated R121 billion in 2012/13, up from R113 billion in 2011. Click here for more

• TAXES

- SIN TAXES: Affects smokers, drinkers - even the super rich folk who have boats and planes. Smokers will have to fork out 58 cents more for a packet of 20 cigarettes.750ml bottle of spirits set to increase by a hefty R6, a 340ml can of beer by nine cents, and a litre of wine by 18 cents. Click here for more

- SIN TAXES: How smokers and drinkers bore brunt over the years. Click here for more

- CLAMPDOWN ON TAX EVASION: Since April last year, over 230 taxpayers have been successfully prosecuted, a further 1500 tax-related cases are awaiting prosecution with the National Prosecution Authority and over 700,000 taxpayers have been penalized for failing to submit an income tax return on time. Click here for more

- MEASURES TO IMPROVE CORPORATE TAX ENVIRONMENT: Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has proposed personal income tax relief of R9.5 billion for 2012/13, as well as a number of other tax proposals. Click here for more

- POSSIBLE VAT TO FUND NHI: Ways to find the billions needed for the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme could include an increase in the VAT rate, a payroll tax on employers, and a surcharge on the taxable income of individuals. Click here for more

- RELIEF FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: Good news as some relief announced. Click here for more

• TRANSPORT AND ENERGY

These sectors would have their budget increased from R84 billion in 2012/13 to R98 billion in 2014/15, an annual average rise of 8.4%. Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) was allocated R4 billion to begin purchasing new coaches. Prasa also received R1 billion to build depots and upgrade signaling in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. Click here for more

• GOVERNMENT GRANTS

- The number of South Africans receiving social grants will swell to 16.7 million over the next three years. Pension grants increase by R60. Click here for more

• TACKLING CORRUPTION

- New measures to fight waste and corruption in state procurement, notably a review of all government property leases. Click here for more

• MILITARY

- Funding for the fledgling department of military veterans will increase steadily over the next three years as it rolls out social support for former combatants. Click here for more

• FARMING

- The government will train more than 2,000 small farmers over the next year in cost-effective farming methods. Click here for more

• MUNICIPALITY BUDGETS

- Government departments and municipalities not spending their allocated funding will risk losing the allocations -- and the relevant officials will be held liable. Click here for more

- Provinces told to have fewer admin staff. Click here for more

- Eastern Cape leases to be investigated. Click here for more

• INFRASTRUCTURE

MAJOR infrastructure development projects worth trillions of rands are at risk of being stalled by government entities and municipalities that fail to spend the allocated budget. Click here for more

• BANK LOANS

- Banking loan trends to be monitored to ensure that consumers’ growing reliance on unsecured debt does not become a systemic risk. Click here for more

- Cost of savings harms drive to get folks to save. Click here for more