Durban - The call by Finance MEC Belinda Scott for KwaZulu-Natal departments to stick to belt-tightening measures, seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
Credit: INDEPENDENT MEDIA
KZN Finance MEC Belinda Scott has warned that disciplinary action will be taken against departments who waste state funds.Scott issued a warning last month about disciplinary action against culprits, be they heads of departments or chief executives, if they allowed wasteful expenditure to take place under their watch.
Tabling a R675.280 million budget for provincial treasury on Tuesday, Scott raised the alarm on the matter, with opposition parties saying the end to abuse of taxpayers’ money should not be lip service.
“There are some departments and public entities who behave as though the cost-cutting measures are not applicable to them. This will have to stop,” Scott said.
However, she did not mention the culprit departments and public entities.
She, instead, told the lawmakers she relied on her colleagues in the executive council to ensure the cost-cutting measures were adhered to.
“I have also had discussions with the chairs of the respective portfolio committees, as well as the auditor-general to ensure that delinquent departments and public entities are dealt with decisively.”
Lourens de Klerk, from the IFP, said Scott should ensure that greater attention was paid to the implementation and planning of the budget.
“All other MECs and the premier must stand together with the finance MEC, alongside the mayors and councillors of local and district municipalities, to stick to the law, and to stick to their budgets,” De Klerk said.
He raised concern that KZN was spending too much money advertising its own services, with Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs leading the pack in expenditure.
“One only has to drive around to see that on almost every billboard in the province there is a face of an MEC. Interesting that it is so during an election year,” De Klerk said.
Referring to government billboards in green, yellow and black colours in nearly all the province’s towns, he said it was not as if the department has any competitors, or was trying to win customers.
“The only thing it may be trying to win is votes for the ANC. So, too, the Education Department takes out expensive radio advertisements to wish learners a happy Easter vacation. This is blatant abuse of taxpayers’ money,” he said.
Erickson Zungu, from the NFP, said the government should spend funds where necessary and avoid fruitless expenditure. “This requires the province to have strong checks and balances in place. Departments need to face the consequences for failing to meet these standards,” Zungu said.
“We cannot simply pay lip service to these measures,” he said, adding that the austerity measures would come under serious test ahead of the August 3 municipal elections.
“We are in election year and your political party will without doubt want more spending. We hope that you will be able to stand up against this and crack the whip if this happens,” Zungu said.
ANC caucus spokeswoman, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, said the ruling party was pleased that the provincial treasury had already identified a number of ways to deal with unnecessary expenditure.
“These include improving accounting standards and transparency, as well as sharpening control over financial systems and associated data integrity,” Simelane-Zulu said.
Daily News
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