Share

Auditor general soon to get greater powers to fight wasteful spend

Cape Town - The auditor general should get “more teeth” to deal decisively with those wasting taxpayer money, said ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu.

During the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate at Parliament on Monday, Mthembu raised concern over the fruitless and wasteful expenditure of government departments.

“The R127.979bn in irregular expenditure uncovered by the auditor general for the years 2013/14 to 2016/17... could have funded free higher education for the poor,” said Mthembu. In 2016/17 irregular expenditure amounted to R45.6bn, according to the auditor general's report. 

In the coming weeks Parliament will finalise the tabling of the Public Audit Amendment Bill. The public has until 16:00 February 23 to make submissions for the draft amendment bill. Among other things, the bill will allow the auditor general to refer undesirable audit outcomes to an appropriate body for investigation. The auditor general will also be able to recover losses against responsible persons.

“[The legislation] will give the auditor general more teeth to decisively deal with those who waste taxpayer money,” said Mthembu.

Last year Auditor General Kimi Makwetu said a review of his office's powers is not a small step. The current Public Audit Act only allows the auditor general to audit and report on what he finds, with no obligation to take his findings further, Fin24 reported.

“We do not have power to dismiss people as an audit office, nor do we have power to do all other things. We are doing our bit to shine light on many areas that are in the dark,” he said.





We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,016.25
+1.4%
Gold
2,220.77
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders