The Standing Committee on Public Accounts having considered reports of the Auditor-General for the past five years, resolves that urgent and drastic measures must be taken to address long outstanding problems in the Department of Education and Culture. In particular, the committee notes with serious concern the following matters appearing in the Auditor-General’s reports which encapsulates the problems being experienced.
5. Financial Audits
The qualified opinion for the years 1996/97 and 1997/98 followed by a disclaimer on an audit opinion for the years 1998/99, 1999/2000 and also reflected in the 2000/1 report that is presently before the Committee.
6. Compliance Audit
The qualified opinion for the years 1996/97 to 1999/2000 and again in the current report for 2000/01 before the Committee.
7. The many matters that have not been resolved and that are still outstanding from the audits of 1996/97 to 2000/01 as reflected in the attached schedule, and believes
That the root cause of the problems lies in the lack of capacity in the administration, the failure of the Department to fill long outstanding senior Administrative posts and review the Administrative Structure of the Department.
Calls on the Minister of Education and Culture to report back to this House at its sitting during the January 2002 sitting on the following matters:
1. Progress on matters listed in the attached schedule, action plans to deal with these issues and time frame for their completion,
2. Contracts that are currently being undertaken in the Department and any envisaged contracts giving the following details:
* Contractor
* Terms of reference and problems they are intended to address
* Completion Date
* Value of Contract
And whether the Department has the capacity once contractors have left, to sustain the various systems put in place by them.
3. Progress in appointing and training administrative staff and envisaged reorganisation in the Department to deal with problems highlighted in the Auditor-General's Reports.
4. Budgetary implications of putting any new administrative and organisational structures into place.
5. Progress in ensuring that objective measurable criteria as provided for in the PFMA are incorporated into a Departmental performance management system so as to monitor the presentation of these financial and compliance problems, and included in the performance contract of the accounting officer and senior officials. In this regard please report on progress in appointing the new Accounting Officer.
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