The Democratic Alliance is concerned that the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) has failed to submit its annual report for the 2019/20 financial year.
The Auditor-General’s office has picked up issues with the financial and performance reports of the GEP and has asked them to correct these reports before expressing an opinion.
This is extremely worrying as the instability and non-performance of this entity is having a negative impact on small businesses in the province. The GEP is still sitting on R250 million that has been earmarked to assist small businesses in Gauteng that faced hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This amount was allocated during the adjustment budget in July. To this day, the GEP has failed to spend a cent towards assisting small businesses.
In addition, more than three years later, the GEP is still without a permanent Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operations Officer and only have officials acting in these positions.
It is clear that this entity is failing on its mandate to promote, foster and develop small businesses in Gauteng. The only way in which we are able to combat the high unemployment rate in the country is if there is investment in these businesses.
If the newly appointed MEC for Economic Development, Parks Tau is serious about rebuilding the Gauteng economy, then he must sort out the GEP once and for all.