The 2011/12 national audit outcomes provide a picture of slow progress by departments towards achieving clean audits by 2014.
Most departments are in the unqualified (category) with other matters audit space thus slowing the progress towards clean audits. We have also noticed with concern, the lack of movement in the audit outcomes of the Department of Public Works despite numerous engagement and attempts by various stakeholders to provide lasting solutions to the Department's challenges.
We are also concerned that the Department of Home Affairs has acquired a qualified audit opinion, a regress from the previous year's outcomes. We are calling for decisive leadership intervention in resolving some of the challenges faced by these Departments and others that have acquired undesirable audit outcomes.
As part of our oversight focus, we will be having engagements with these Departments to seek clarity on the reasons for the regress.
In our recent strategic planning session, we resolved to deepen oversight in all areas where there is increased government expenditure; this is in line with SCOPA's role as the guardian of the public purse.
Our major determination in this regard is to ensure that the country efficiently utilises its financial resources in a manner that will ensure the realization of its developmental objectives.
In this regard, we are seriously concerned about the wastage of public funds due to poor procurement processes that result in sub-standard work by service providers. This is a phenomenon we have observed in our oversight in the sectors of education and health as contained in the Auditor-General's performance audit on infrastructure in the Departments of education and health tabled in October 2011.
Based on the findings of that report we were alarmed by the amount of money government loses to projects owing to poor planning, poor financial resource management, unfair procurement processes and poor project management.
For the 2012/13 oversight cycle, SCOPA will continue to robustly engage departments in seeking sustainable improvement in the financial management in the public sector, in this regard the Committee will embark on strengthening oversight in the following weaknesses in the public sector:
Supply chain management
Human resource management
Information and communication technology
Reporting on performance Information
Material misstatements in the financial statements
We will seek accountability from the ministers and heads of Department's pertaining to the following issues. The committee has identified the following interventions for oversight for the 2012/13 oversight cycle:
1. The need for Ministers and Heads of Departments to outline corrective actions to be undertaken for the lack of progress/action on previous year's SCOPA recommendations
2. Structured engagement with other institutions such as the Public Service Commission and other law enforcement agencies in order to root out corruption in the public service
3. Regular interaction with coordinating Ministries such as DPSA, National Treasury, COGTA in order to be updated on their programmes pertaining to procurement, human resources and other transversal issues that are under these ministries custodianship;
4. Will also pursue hearings on value for money findings contained in the soon to be tabled performance audit on the usage of consultants by government,
5. Development of an oversight visit programme that is informed by the insight gained during briefings
Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Yoliswa Landu (Ms)
Tel: 021 403 8203
Cell: 073 738 0182
Email: ylandu@parliament.gov.za
