Gauteng Service Delivery Dealt A Blow By Slow Release Of Funds

Gauteng Provincial Government – National Treasury

Five major Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) departments have yet to receive their allotted budget for the second quarter of this financial year due to the slow transfer of funds from National Treasury.

The departments of Roads and Transport, Community Safety, Agriculture and Rural Development, E-Government and Infrastructure Development, which should by now have received 50% or more of their equitable share from National Treasury are all low in the 40% region.

Of notable concern is the department of E-Governance, which to date has only received 40.8% of its allocated funding. This department is the nerve centre of government business in Gauteng. If it fails to fulfil its mandate due to financial constraints, it will have dire consequences for the other GPG departments.

Premier David Makhura’s Transformation, Modernisation and Re-Industrialisation Plan

In an effort to restructure the economy of Gauteng, Premier David Makhura’s Transformation, Modernisation and Re-Industrialisation (TMR) plan hinges on departments like Infrastructure and Agriculture for its success. However, without funding, it will be impossible for these departments to make in-roads to address economic growth and job creation.

As the country’s most populace province, it is imperative that these funds are made available to departments as soon as possible so that residents of Gauteng receive the service they deserve.

It is at this stage unclear as to why these funds have yet to be made available.

Premier David Makhura must engage his counterparts in national government to speed up the payment process as he has done with the issues surrounding monies owed to the Gauteng Department of Health.

Province’s Financial Obligations

If the process is delayed due to departments failing to comply with legislation, swift action must be taken against accounting officers in departments.

The DA will continue to ensure that the province’s financial obligations are met and that service delivery is not hampered.

 

 

Media Enquiries:

Adriana Randall MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC on Finance

060 556 4342

DA Debates 2016/17 Gauteng Department Of e-Governance Budget

Speech by: Adriana Randall MPL

 “Infant e-Governance has a long way to go”

  • Government in S.A. is the largest consumer of ICT goods and services. However, because of a gap in terms of a proper e-waste disposal policy, the challenge of e-waste accumulation is a ticking time bomb.
  • The most important pillar is that of citizen participation, promoting citizens from mere recipients and consumers of government services, to active participants and decision makers in line with Batho Pele principles.
  • Putting government on-line is one thing, making government websites functional and easy to use is quite another.

 The full speech can be obtained here.

 

Speech by: Ashor Sarupen MPL

“Little saving benefit from Gauteng Online”

  • We are still paying service providers for connectivity in many departments despite Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN) connectivity being available.
  • Another concern is the nature of the contract with Cloudseed for 3G connectivity to tablets. As schools are connected to the GBN, the need to use the 3G connectivity ends. Yet we now have a situation where we are paying twice for the same service where the GBN is online.
  • There is a serious risk developing in the Gauteng Government – which is the lack of transversal management and silo mentality that appears to persist. It means that the potential to save tens of millions of rands through IT solutions and the GBN is lost.

The full speech can be obtained here.

 

Media Enquiries:

Adriana Randall MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC on Finance

060 556 4342

 

Ashor Sarupen MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Finance

060 558 8303

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Public Service Commission Closes Net On Gauteng MECs

Public Service Commission

The DA welcomes the move by the Public Service Commission (PSC) compelling several Gauteng MECs to take action against Heads of Department (HODs) who have failed to recover millions of rand worth of public money lost due to financial misconduct.

In tabling its report before the Gauteng Legislature last month, the PSC alarmingly noted that of 121 cases of financial misconduct, only 3% of individuals were criminally charged.

To date, of the R67 million that has gone missing, either through corrupt business practices, theft or negligence – only R 6000 has been recovered.

Corruption and Financial Misconduct of Public Funds

While Gauteng Premier David Makhura claims his administration is taking a hard line on corruption and financial misconduct, the facts speak for themselves, and neither the DA, nor the PSC are convinced, which is why the PSC, in writing, issued a directive and insist that concrete evidence be provided over action taken.

To this end, the DA will submit written questions to the MECs for e-Governance, economic development, roads and transport, infrastructure development and social development upon Legislature’s reopening in 2016 – asking for progress reports on the PSC’s recommendations.

The DA will continue to pursue this matter and offer all our cooperation to the PSC to ensure that public funds are recovered and that the individuals involved in are brought to book.

 

Media enquiries:

Mike Moriarty MPL

DA Chief Whip in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature

082 492 4410

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