Wasteful and fruitless expenditure incurred by National Departments over the past five financial years amounts to about R1.52 billion.
This was revealed by the Office of the Auditor General while briefing Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations.
The AG’s office has given only 29 % of government departments, 44 % of public entities and 9% of State Owned Entities a clean bill of health.
It has flagged others as culprits requiring urgent action.
Among the culprits are the Defence and Military Veterans, National Treasury, Basic Education Departments, including the highest office in the land, the Presidency.
“Over the last five years a whole R1.52 billion was incurred by 41 departments but if you look there are 21 which have been consistently incurring but if you look at the trend it is fluctuating,” says National Head of Audit Bongi Ngoma.
Auditor-General Maluleke briefs the Standing Committee on Appropriation on national departments:
