Honourable Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
Honourable Fish Mahlalela, the Chairperson of the Association of Public Accounts Committees
Honourable Themba Godi, the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the National Assembly and Chairs of the Public Accounts Committees in the Provincial Legislatures
Honourable Speakers and Deputy Speakers of our Provincial Legislatures
Honourable Members of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures
Representatives of local government
The Auditor General and members of his Office
Representatives from our Southern African Development Community (SADC) neighbours and across the continent
Distinguished guests
Delegates
I wish to thank the Speaker of the National Assembly and the chairpersons of the Association of Public Accounts Committees and the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee for inviting me to address you at this important gathering.
This conference provides an opportunity to engage one another, to share ideas, to debate and discuss the challenges encountered and to seek innovative ways in which to address the needs of public account committees.
This conference takes place in the middle of the global economic crisis which has affected every region of the world. This has already had a huge dampening effect on economic growth in our own country, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, with negative implications for investment, employment, income and government revenue.
As we know government has limited resources and public accounts committees have to ensure that they are used effectively, in a manner that would at once improve on the quality of life of our people and when the global upswing occurs, to position the country to participate meaningfully in the world economy.
The central conference theme, namely 'Parliament as a key institution in monitoring service delivery for all citizens through Public Accounts Committees', is a valuable and critical point of discussion.
This theme has significant relevance in light of national government's commitment to build on the successes of the past 15 years and to address the weaknesses.
Despite the great strides we have made, we recognise the need to look at ourselves critically and to assess our performance objectively. Aspects such as coherent long-term planning, capacity to mobilise society, and greater coordination of government have been identified as fundamental areas for improvement.
Research shows that societies in which accountability is an integral way of life will experience higher levels of confidence on the part of the electorate, business, organised labour and investors in its system of government. A country's reputation for strong governance practices enhances direct investment, trade and economic growth.
Recently, in our country, the Green Paper: National Planning was tabled at the same times as a discussion paper on performance, monitoring and evaluation. The pursuit of greater efficiency, better performance, a service-orientated culture and outcomes-driven management has highlighted the interrelationship between the work done by the various ministries and government departments, at all three spheres of government, and has accentuated the need for closer cooperation.
Your dedication to your role as members of Public Accounts Committees is important to the accomplishment of this vision. Successful oversight is a critical transformation factor which ultimately promotes good governance and the effective channelling of public resources.
South Africa is not alone in its commitment to government accountability. Good governance and accountability are values increasingly moving higher up on the global priority list. There is a global trend towards greater openness in governments' financial management, and around the world there are calls to strengthen public accountability and to re-examine how transparency and good governance can best be achieved.
Our Constitution specifically requires the legislatures to provide for effective mechanisms of oversight and to ensure that executive organs of state in the national and provincial spheres of government are accountable to legislatures.
The Constitution is specific about the type of society it wants to create and the values of accountability, responsiveness and openness are enshrined therein. As an oversight mechanism, Public Accounts Committees have a great responsibility and must contribute to legislatures fulfilling their mandate of overseeing executive actions, with special focus on financial management and administration.
It furthermore requires that a high standard of ethical practice be maintained by all in the public sector and that public resources be used efficiently and in the manner intended. Our democratic system of government is critically dependent on transparency and accountability. The main responsibility for this is in the hands of the South African legislatures. When legislatures oversee and scrutinise the actions of the executive, they help to enforce government accountability.
The Constitution prescribes that members of the executive are collectively and individually accountable and must regularly provide comprehensive reports regarding matters related to the performance of functions under their control. The need for strong parliamentary oversight and scrutiny guidelines as an essential part of promoting good governance and combating corruption is an internationally accepted fact.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 2001 recognised that effective parliamentary oversight depends on an active committee system within legislatures that enables members to penetrate below the surface of government administration and to make accountability real.
It is crucial that Public Accounts Committees do not only react to bad management and corruption but also assist in ensuring that financial affairs are managed properly. Public Accounts Committees must scrutinise problem areas within departments and public entities, and propose corrective action and changes where required.
Members of Pubic Accounts Committees must be willing to go through all reports tabled before them with a fine comb; to ask questions and to make tough decisions in the interest of the people of this country. I am encouraged to note that the sub-themes for this conference are aligned to the strategic imperative of Parliament and I want to urge you to use these three days productively for discussions geared towards the development of pragmatic recommendations and feasible solutions.
We do not operate in a utopian world and must respond proactively to the challenges of our environment. During the first decade of democracy a focal area of Public Accounts Committees was addressing backlogs in the review of audit reports.
In this, the second decade of democracy, issues of quality, cost and time effectiveness of services have shifted the oversight focus to the congruence between effective budget planning and service delivery. New legislation such as the Public Finance Management Act of 1999 and the Public Audit Act of 2004 improved accountability systems and frameworks. The amendment of the Public Audit Act to include the auditing of, and reporting on, performance information has emphasised the congruence between effective service delivery and efficient fiscal control.
High levels of non-compliance by departments and the high occurrence and frequency of qualified or modified audit opinions remain a stubborn problem. Within the context of the global economic downturn, the pursuit of value for money is imperative if government is to improve service delivery standards. We must do more with less. The focus has to be on value for money. Wasteful and unproductive expenditure and corruption cannot be afforded!
In view of our difficult heritage, the first 10 years of our democracy were geared towards addressing the inequalities of the past. Although great transformational strides have been made, much work remains to be done and it is essential for government to be more effective in its actions.
We must now improve on the quality of our services. Improved performance requires commitment from every individual in every sphere of government to pursue excellence in the delivery of every single activity, role and function that they undertake.
I urge you to critically assess your contribution as oversight committees in improving public sector governance and accountability at all three spheres of government. Every member must act without fear or favour and remain committed to and cognisant of the needs of this country and our duty within the public service, so that our public officials know that they will be held accountable for the services or lack of services that they provide to South Africa.
Critical to the successful attainment of this objective, the Public Accounts Committee members and support staff must have a clear understanding of the following:
1. The legislative environment and legal framework within which they operate
2. The concepts, principles and ethics of oversight and accountability
3. The activities and implementation of oversight processes
4. The public sector financial cycle and financial management in the public sector
5. The relationship between the committee, other parliamentary committees and stakeholders
6. Measurement and evaluation issues in the context of the implementation of oversight processes
Government must deliver services to alleviate the plight of the poor. Public Account Committees have the responsibility of holding authorities to account and they must provide testimony of the manner in which funds have been spent, as well as the motivation for and purpose of the expenditure.
Continuous self-evaluation and assessment are critical activities to enhance efficiency and effectiveness gains
It may prove quite a challenge for us to also self critique in order to strengthen ourselves and to take stock of our strengths and weaknesses. Where strength exists, use this as an opportunity to share practices and knowledge.
Recognition of weaknesses is not failure it is an opportunity to find constructive ways to learn grow and evolve. Over the next few days as you engage and debate pertinent issues of the conference sub-themes, keep in mind the average South African. It would be helpful if you were to use their plight as your performance measure and to measure your success and the success of your Committee by the impact your work has had on the average South African.
I am heartened by initiatives geared towards strengthening oversight. One such example is the oversight model adopted by Parliament. It is aimed at enhancing the integrity of public governance to safeguard government against corruption, nepotism, abuse of power and other forms of inappropriate behaviour, and at improving performance, which will foster institutional learning and service delivery.
Despite the resource challenges encountered by Public Accounts Committees, I request you to also explore and discuss how Public Accounts Committees can effectively respond to oversight challenges. During your commission discussions you may want to ask yourself the following questions:
* How has the work of this Public Account Committee improved public sector governance and how can its work be further improved?
* How can successful oversight be improved through the effective follow-up in particular regarding monitoring the implementation of responses to reports?
* How do we obtain greater service delivery through increased focus on value for money and performance by public sector departments?
* What are the needs of municipal Public Accounts Committees and how can they be strengthened and supported?
Oversight and accountability has to ensure the effective and transparent utilisation of resources. This will make it easier to eliminate maladministration and corruption.
I want to congratulate APAC for the invaluable work it has done over the past decade in strengthening and supporting Public Accounts Committees in South Africa. I am confident that the research activities and collaborative projects will further strengthen oversight practices and provide a best-practice model for other countries as well.
In conclusion, dear delegates, I wish you positive and fruitful deliberations that will ensure the most effective use of public funds.
I thank you for your attention.
Issued by: The Presidency
28 September 2009
