As one of the few departments with unqualified audit opinion for the 2009/10 financial year, the North West Department of Health is already hard at work to maintain its hard earned Auditor-General favourable opinion. The MEC, Dr Magome Masike has cautioned managers not to relax and think the current audit status will carry over to the next audit period when they are not putting effort to make that happen. He therefore urged managers to work even harder to maintain the unqualified audit opinion which the department has obtained.
Only the Department of Health together with other sister Departments of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development, Economic Development and Tourism, the Provincial Treasury and Sport, Arts and Culture received unqualified audit opinion. The rest received disclaimers or qualified audit opinion.
Though municipalities are regarded as the worst in financial irregularities, there is still a need to improve financial management and accountability across board. In provincial departments, disclaimers decreased from only 4 (3%) in 2006/07 to 3 (3%) in 2007/08. Adverse audit opinions decreased from only 3 (2%) in 2006/07 to 2 (1%) in 2007/08. The positive has been that qualified audits decreased from 56 (47%) in 2006/07 to 38 (32%) in 2007/08. Financially unqualified audits (with matters) increased from 50 (42%) in 2006/07 to 69 (58%) in 2007/08.Financially unqualified audits (with no matters) increased from 6 (6%) in 2006/07 to only 7 (6%) in 2007/08.
Meanwhile, the Acting HOD for North West Department of Health, Mr Vuyo Mbulawa acted promptly to implement the directive of the MEC by calling on all of his managers into a two day session where the financial performance of the department was reviewed with a view to monitor spending, curb waste and improve the finances of the department.
The Acting HOD developed a programme of action to quickly address all outstanding audit queries that were raised by the Auditor-General. “We have come a long way as the Department of Health to receive the unqualified audit opinion. All of us must take responsibility of maintaining this good state of audit by satisfying Auditor General’s requirements and needs,” said Mr Vuyo Mbulawa. The Acting HOD further encouraged managers to continue to spend sensibly and guard against waste.
He said the North West Department of Health is one of the most under-funded government departments and managers must instill discipline in the use of resources to ensure that they provide the best possible services with little.
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
