Question NW3730 to the Minister of Transport
25 November 2022 - NW3730
Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)Whether, considering that the report of the Auditor-General for the 2021-22 financial year states that one of the root causes for the lack of improved audit outcomes and the non-achievement of service delivery objectives is the inadequate monitoring of entities by accounting officers and authorities (details furnished), his department has plans in place to improve the quality of monitoring and oversight of grant management; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether his department has plans in place to build capacity and skills within the accounting officers and/or authorities in order to rectify the inadequacies in their monitoring of departmental entities; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. RRAMS and PRMG is managed through a Conditional Grant Framework which stipulates various responsibilities of the National Transferring Officer (NTO) and the Receiving Officer (RO). Monitoring is done quarterly and through bilaterals and intervention meetings.
There are also Roads Coordinating Body meetings of all Provinces that also help to interface with Provinces and Municipalities on performance and compliance matters.
2. RRAMS has a Capacity Human Development Provision where by the receiving authorities are at liberty to recruit requisite skills and competencies to perform the functions expected from this program.
With regards, the monitoring and oversight of Road Agencies, the capacity at Public Entity Oversight will augment the Roads Branch with highly skilled and experienced persons.
In addition, further training and development programmes will be implemented to further build capacity.
The receiving authorities have been advised to address the shortage of critical skills, which include CFOs and technically skilled personnel both at Provincial and Municipal levels. However, it is worth mentioning that it is difficult for Municipalities to keep these technical skills.