AG wraps GCIS over knuckles

Cape Town - The government's Communication and Information System (GCIS) which, according to its Web site is responsible for among other things rendering excellent media and communications services to the government, as well as co-ordinating information between government sectors and State departments, was rapped over the knuckles by the Auditor-General (AG) because it did not liaise properly with the National Treasury and the State Tender Board to obtain authorisation for expenditures of close to R4m.

According to the AG's report for the year to end-March of last year, which was tabled in Parliament on Friday, the GCIS exceeded its budget by R3.738m, as a consequence of unauthorised expenses totalling R3.997m.

This includes savings in staff expenditure of R58 889.05, which was used to offset the overstepping of the budget and is therefore also regarded as unauthorised.

An unauthorised expenditure of R200 130 resulted from a "misunderstanding between the GCIS and the State Tender Board" when an order was placed before written authorisation for it had been received from the board.

The AG also identified several cases of poor internal control in the GCIS, for example in asset registers and transfers.

The GCIS allocation in the latest Budget was nearly doubled to R120m.

The AG reports for the same financial year for the Department of Health and the Department of Art, Culture, Science and Technology, which were also tabled on Friday, reveal that two long-outstanding issues have still not been resolved: the amount of R112 960, which has to be recovered from former Art, Culture, Science and Technology Deputy Minister Winnie Madikizela-Mandela for an unauthorised overseas trip and the unauthorised expenditure by the Department of Health on the Sarafina II project to combat Aids. In the latter case, a final report is still being awaited by Judge Willem Heath's special corruption investigation unit.