Mbombela – The MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Ms Nompumelelo Hlophe, tabled the budget to improve the resilience of the financial administration at the Provincial Legislature on Tuesday [13 June 2023].
Addressing the legislators on the Provincial Treasury’s programme of action for the 2023/24 financial year, MEC Hlophe said her department is determined to strengthen its capacity to ensure effective financial administration and accountable governance across the Provincial administration.
“We are committed to building an appropriate capacity within the department and throughout the administration to provide sound and credible management of public resources in the Province”.
“Our partnership with the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) has so far resulted in about forty (40) officials being accredited as Professional Accountants since the start of the programme three years ago”.
“As part of the rollout plan of this programme, specifically targeting unemployed youth in the Province, twenty-eight (29) Trainee Accountants have been enrolled in a three-year learnership programme which will culminate in them being certified as Professional Accountants”, said MEC Hlophe.
The Provincial Treasury has been R590.7 million to implement and exercise control on the provincial budget and enforce norms and standards for effective revenue collection and improvement of financial management systems and governance in the Province.
The key priority programme to be implemented this year includes:
- modernisation of public service through the deployment of new technology to respond to everyday demands in the business process environment. A key activity in this regard includes the implementation of the new e-sourcing system, which will enable suppliers to submit bids or quotations electronically.
- review all audit action plans to ensure that they address all issues raised by the Auditor General.
- collaborate with the Institute of Risk Management South Africa to professionalise Risk Practitioners in the Province.
MEC Hlophe said the persistent challenges at the local government require sustained technical support on compliance matters, promotion of effective controls, and capacity boost to implement financial management reforms. “We are continuing to support municipalities in ensuring that they reduce the unfunded parts of the budgets by implementing revenue improvement strategies and reducing non-priority spending.
“The Provincial Treasury will undertake a full review of the Financial Recovery Plans to assess the full impact of implementation in Emalahleni, Govan Mbeki, Msukaligwa and Thaba Chweu Local Municipalities,” said MEC Hlophe. She said governance and Assurance structures are critical to building resilient, sustainable, legislative compliance and accountable public services.
Given their position in the accountability ecosystem, the Provincial Treasury will focus more efforts on supporting the governance and assurance structures to guide departments, public entities and municipalities on sustainable compliance and accountability processes and to assist them in exercising their financial governance oversight in the best interest of society.
For more information, please contact Letshela Jonas on 013 766 4323 / 079 5000 154 or Ms Siphesihle Nkosi (MEC’s Media Liaison Officer) on 067 419 0653
ISSUED BY THE MPUMALANGA PROVINCIAL TREASURY