Question NW2216 to the Minister of Arts and Culture
14 November 2016 - NW2216
Grootboom, Mr GA to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture
(1) Whether with reference to his department’s 2015-16 annual report wherein the Auditor- General of South Africa indicated that his department was in dereliction of its duties by incurring irregular expenditure, any action has been taken against the management of his department; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he has subsequently instituted any management strategies to prevent the reoccurrence of dereliction of duties in the future; if not, why not; if so what are the relevant details of the strategies that have been instituted?
Reply:
- I have taken note of the observations made by the Auditor General, as a result of his observations, investigations were done and all the implicated officials are being taken through the disciplinary process as we speak.
- I have instructed the ADG and his team to develop a plan to combat future occurances of this nature. This plan contains amongst others the following:
- Demand & Acquisition Unit to verify that supplier have quoted according to specifications. If not an approved motivation to attached prior to appointment.
- Demand & Acquisition Unit to test the validity of the motivation against the set criteria in the SCM policy
- Suppliers who are unable to submit a valid tax certificate to be automatically disqualified. SCM officials to verify that suppliers are registered in the National Treasury central supplier database, and that their tax status is compliant
- Demand & Acquisition Unit to provide and attach proof that various suppliers were approached and given opportunity but still it was not possible obtain the prescribed minimum number of quotations.
- It is now a mandatory requirement as per National Treasury SCM Instruction note 4 A of 206/2017 to utilise service providers that are registered on the Central Supplier Database. Demand & Acquisition Unit to obtain quotations strictly from suppliers registered on the CSD.
- An official in the Office of CFO to be assigned to review compliance with SCM prior to processing of orders or appointment of suppliers