By Hon. M. Hlengwa MP
IFP Spokesperson on SCOPA
Note to Editors: This statement follows the briefing by National Treasury’s Office of the Chief Procurement Officer to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on deviations and expansions, in Parliament this morning.
The IFP has requested the National Treasury’s Office of the Chief Procurement Officer to provide the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) with all documents relating to deviations and expansions.
This comes as the SCOPA committee heard that billions of Rands are being condoned as Irregular Expenditure and Emergency Measures, as the lack of proper planning and financial management systems drive State Owned Entities (SOEs) and Provinces to seek deviations out of their respective budgets.
The abuse of deviations were reported by the Auditor General back in 2014, yet with very little consequences implemented against financial accounting officers who continually abuse and circumvent regulations in order to evade accountability.
This practice must be stopped and Treasury should strengthen mechanisms to possibly charge officials should any irregularity be found or that anyone has unduly benefitted from tender-splitting or any other financial deviations.
South Africans cannot continue to be robbed of their hard-earned taxes while many suffer and seek relief from undue poverty.
The IFP will continue to act in the best interest of all our people, as integrity is key to an efficient, effective and responsive public service.
Media Enquires:
Mkhululeko Hlengwa MP
IFP Spokesperson on SCOPA
071 111 0539
