Question NW3532 to the Minister of Public Works
04 December 2017 - NW3532
Figg, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Public Works
Whether each employee of his department submitted completed declarations of interest indicating whether they have any interest in companies doing business with Government entities (a) in the 2016-17 financial year and (b) since 1 April 2017; if not, how many employees’ declarations are outstanding in each case; if so, (i) how many employees have interests in companies doing business with Government entities and (ii) what are the details of the (aa) interests and (bb) value(s) of the contract(s) involved in each case?
Reply:
Not all employees in the Public Service are required to submit financial disclosures of interest. In terms of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 only Senior Managers are required to submit financial disclosures every year by 30 April for the previous financial year. The new Public Service Regulations, 2016 also gave the Minister of Public Service and Administration the power to identify other categories that must disclose. The Determination on other categories of designated to disclose their financial interest and the directive on the form, date and financial interest to disclose on was signed on 16 March 2017. This determination identified other categories to disclose financial interest below the level of SMS:
- Employees earning an equivalent of salary level 13 and above through the OSD or personal notches
- Employees appointed at salary level 12 including those employees earning the equivalent of salary level 12 through the OSD
- Employees appointed at salary level 11 including those employees earning the equivalent of salary level 11 through the OSD
- Employees in Supply Chain and Finance Units, irrespective of their salary level
The submission date of 30 June 2017 and 31 July 2017 for the above-mentioned groups was extended to 30 September 2017. The e-disclosure system however remained open until 31 October 2017 for electronic submission of financial disclosures for these groups. Departments have until 31 December 2017 to finalise the checking of the information disclosed for the 2016/2017 financial year.
Senior Manger’s disclosure are submitted via the Head of Department to the Public Service Commission. All SMS in service as at March 2017 complied with the submission of their financial disclosures and the disclosures were forwarded before 31 May 2017 to the Public Service Commission
a) In the 2016-2017 financial year:
4 members of SMS were identified by the Auditor-General as having companies registered on the Central Supplier Database this is still under investigation. The PSR, 2016 prohibits public servants from doing business with an organ of state but did allow for 6 month transitional arrangement meaning doing business with an organ of state is only prohibited with effect from 1 February 2017.
b) The process of disclosure for levels below SMS have not yet been concluded therefore it is not possible to provide the information for (i) and (ii) (aa) and (bb)