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Cape Town - Parliament's public accounts watchdog committee Scopa has voiced concern that the 2011/12 national audit outcomes indicate slow progress by departments towards achieving clean audits by 2014.
"Most departments are in the unqualified [category] with other matters' audit space, thus slowing the progress towards clean audits," Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) chairperson Themba Godi said on Tuesday.
"We have also noticed with concern, the lack of movement in the audit outcomes of the department of public works, despite numerous engagements and attempts by various stakeholders to provide lasting solutions to the department's challenges," he said.
The committee was also concerned that the home affairs department had received a qualified audit opinion, a regression from the previous year's outcomes.
"We are calling for decisive leadership intervention in resolving some of the challenges faced by these departments and others that have acquired undesirable audit outcomes," Godi said.
As part of Scopa's oversight focus, the committee would speak to these departments to seek clarity on the reasons for the regression.
The committee had resolved to deepen oversight in all areas where there was increased government spending. This was in line with Scopa's role as the guardian of the public purse.
"Our major determination in this regard is to ensure that the country efficiently utilises its financial resources in a manner that will ensure the realisation of its developmental objectives."
In this regard, Scopa was seriously concerned about the wasteage of public funds due to poor procurement processes which resulted in sub-standard work by service providers.
This was a phenomenon Scopa had observed in its oversight in the education and health sectors, as contained in the Auditor General's performance audit on infrastructure in the education and health departments tabled in October 2011.
"Based on the findings of that report, we were alarmed by the amount of money government loses to projects owing to poor planning, poor financial resource management, unfair procurement processes, and poor project management."
For the 2012/13 oversight cycle, Scopa would continue to robustly engage departments to create sustainable improvement in the financial management in the public sector.
The committee would strengthen oversight regarding weaknesses in the public sector.
These included supply chain management, human resources management, information and communications technology, reporting on performance information, and material mis-statements in the financial statements.
Godi said the committee would seek accountability from ministers and heads of department, and had identified various interventions for oversight for the 2012/13 cycle.
These included the need for ministers and heads of department to outline corrective actions to be undertaken for the lack of progress/action on the previous year's Scopa recommendations.
Structured engagement with other institutions, such as the Public Service Commission and other law enforcement agencies, would be held to root out corruption in the public service.
There would also be regular interaction with co-ordinating ministries, such as public service and administration, the National Treasury, and co-operative governance and traditional affairs, for updates on their programmes regarding procurement, human resources, and other transversal issues under these ministries' custodianship.
Scopa would pursue hearings on value-for-money findings contained in the soon to be tabled performance audit on the use of consultants by government.
Finally, an oversight programme would be developed, informed by the insights gained during briefings, Godi said.
