The Gauteng Department of Finance (GDF) last year made significant progress on key projects aimed at ensuring that we implement our mandate effectively.
This year, we plan to double our efforts on key areas including financial management and procurement. In line with the theme of Government’s Programme of Action focusing on jobs … jobs … and more jobs, we have taken care to ensure that all our programmes have a job creation component.
Creating jobs and facilitating inclusive economic growth
1. The GDF through our Shared Services Division is, amongst other things, responsible for recruitment for the entire Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG). As such we are strategically placed to ensure that all funded vacancies within the GPG are filled in the 2011/12 financial as per the directive issued by President Jacob Zuma during the State of the Nation address in Parliament.
We have already identified all vacancies on the system. We are putting in place a comprehensive plan that allows Departments to confirm which of these vacancies are funded, and fully capacitates GPG departments to fill these posts within the timeframe set out. We are confident that we could achieve this target. Our strategy basically says a post must be advertised for a two full weeks, short-listing must take place within five working days from the closing date, within the next ten days interviews must be conducted, the approval process for a selected candidate must be completed within the following three days. A successful candidate will then be informed.
2. We have established a Professional Job Centre at Thusong Centre in Maponya Mall, Soweto. This is the first of the kind facility that brings government recruitment closer to people are, in a retail complex frequented by millions. This means that in addition to doing their shopping, banking etc, people are now able to walk into our facility, check available vacancies and apply online or simply receive career advice offered by our highly qualified career advisors. I would like to urge our people to visit GPG Jobs Centre and apply to start an exciting career in public service.
3. In partnership with Vaal University of Technology, Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Johannesburg and eight Further Education and Training Colleges in Gauteng, we are implementing a six months experiential training programme. Through this initiative, young people across the province will be given an opportunity gain hands-on-experience in a workplace in different areas of GDF’s work ranging from fleet management, accounting, financial management, auditing, economics and information technology, before they even finish their studies. This will put them in a better position to find permanent employment in future. We have budgeted more than R300 000 for this programme during the 2011/12 financial year.
4. Working together with the Gauteng Department of Education, 200 young people have been trained and will be given an opportunity to gain valuable experience supporting, maintaining and managing our technological infrastructure in schools throughout the province.
5. The development of the G-Link Broadband Project aimed at enhancing the information and communication technologyinfrastructure in the province, improve service delivery, create jobs and save costs, is progressing as planned. In the 2011/12 financial year, we will use the services of small and media sized enterprises to implement the first phase of the project, which will be the provision of basic broadband.
As an activist, developmental and interventionist department, we will continue to provide strategic and operational support to departments and municipalities in the province; with the aim of enabling them to create job opportunities directly and indirectly and contribute to achieving inclusive economic growth.
Management of provincial finances
We will continue with our austerity measures, shifting available funds to finance priority outcomes in particular those that create job opportunities, reduce unemployment and facilitate economic growth. We are implementing prudent budgetary reprioritisation, strict cost containment measures, contract management reform processes and stringent payment plans to ensure compliance with the Public Finance Management Act. We will intensify our monitoring mechanisms to ensure that departments spend within their allocated budgets.
We are certain that over time, these austerity measures would improve the financial position of the province, enabling us to allocate resources to projects and programmes that will enhance the quality of life of our people.
Local government must work better. It must provide quality public services to our people. Through our various interventions, local government in the province is beginning to change, for the better. Financial management in municipalities is improving as evidenced by the audit outcomes for the 2009/10 financial year, compared to the previous year. I believe that we are turning the corner and last year’s performance was a step in the direction but we need to do more.
Procurement management
At present, emerging farmers account for 2% of all Gauteng Provincial Government’s spend on agricultural produce. This year we plan to significantly increase this figure by sourcing more fresh produce from emerging farmers. We will continue with the vendor pre-qualification project to enhance localisation of procurement of other specific commodities within regions. By so doing, we will impact directly in creating decent work, building a growing, inclusive economy and sustainable livelihoods.
We will also roll-out the Purchase Card to all Departmental Head Offices. The P-Card will assist us ensure we do not subject vendors to payment delays associated with bureaucratic procurement processes. They will further assist reduce paperwork, processing costs associated with low-value purchases, and typically suppliers will receive payment within 2-3 working days. The initial roll out will focus on services provided by small micro and medium sized enterprise. In addition we will introduce a system that will enable our suppliers to submit invoices to us electronically and provide them with automated reconciliation of statements.
Corporate governance
In pursuit of good corporate governance, we have taken a decision that Operation Clean Audit 2014 will become one of the key performance areas of each and every Head of Department (HOD) in the province, and those who report directly to them.
In addition, all HODs must submit quarterly interim financial statements to the Treasury Division of the Gauteng Department of Finance in order to avoid the restatement of annual financial statements. We are continuing our various capacity building initiatives for Chief Financial Officers (CFO) and procurement managers in all departments. To date we have developed structures, standardised functions and job descriptions for CFO’s.
Our goals are clear; our staff is committed to work harder and smarter to implement our mandate.
Enquiries:
Khusela Sangoni
Head of Communication
Gauteng Department of Finance
Cell: 079 510 5408
E-mail: gdfmedia@gauteng.gov.za
Source: Gauteng Department of Finance
