By Kaya 959 Reporter
Gauteng’s irregular expenditure for the 2020/2021 financial year totalled a whopping R9.7 billion.
This was revealed by a report from the Auditor-General.
The report shows irregular expenditure and fruitless and wasteful expenditure has drastically increased for the 2020/21 financial year.
The AG’s report shows that the worst offenders in the Gauteng departments are:
- Health – R3 921 800 000
- Transport – R2 013 200 000
- Infrastructure and Development – R1 119 900 000
- Education – R922 900 000
- Social Development – R683 000 000
The report shows that the bulk of the irregular expenditure for the health department was due to non-compliance to Treasury regulations on competitive bidding and irregularities regarding the procurement of PPE.
The roads and transport department’s irregular expenditure relates to the extension of bus subsidy contracts. It also relates to the extension of contracts without the necessary approval being obtained.
The AG’s report shows that the infrastructure and development department failed to follow the proper supply chain management process in the procurement of the client’s infrastructure projects and infrastructure projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ALSO READ: Gauteng wasted more than 3, 000 COVID-19 vaccines
Fruitless and wasteful expenditure increases
The education department also incurred irregular expenditure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. as well as to lease contracts that were not renewed but continued on a month-to-month basis.
The social development department incurred irregular expenditure in relation to food parcel and dignity packs during the 2016-2018 financial years.
According to the report by the AG, fruitless and wasteful expenditure for the province has increased from R103 million to R378 million.
“It is disheartening to see that while our country is trying to recover from the effects of the hard lockdown imposed last year, our government has no consideration in how taxpayers’ money is spent,” says the DA’s Adriana Randall.
She says irregular expenditure once again points to the simple lack of planning from government departments and their inability to simply follow the procedures put in place.
“The fruitless and wasteful expenditure is an indictment on our residents. This is this money that has now potentially been lost and may not be recovered by our government. This money could have been used to help more employment opportunities. It could have also helped to employ the youth,” Randall says.
ALSO READ: Gauteng Health underspent by R1.1bn despite COVID-19 chaos
