Makwetu presents tough measures

AUDITOR-General Kimi Makwetu has proposed tough measures to force departments and stateowned entities to act on his recommendations on officials involved in corruption and irregularities.

In his presentation to the standing committee on the auditor-general on expanding his powers to act against corruption, Makwetu yesterday gave deadlines for departments and state-owned entities (SOEs) to act.

He said if they failed to act on his recommendations in his audit reports, people would be held accountable.

This comes as the auditor-general expressed concern about the ballooning wastage in government.

He said irregular expenditure would shoot up to R60 billion, a huge increase from R46.6bn last year.

The standing committee is amending the Public Audit Act that governs his office.

Makwetu told MPs that there must be consequences for wrongdoing. He proposed a three-tier model to force departments to act on his recommendations.

In the first tier he makes recommendations on irregularities, but his findings are not binding.

However, in the second tier departments and SOEs have to act within six months of his report.

If nothing happens within that period he gives the department a warning and tells it his recommendations are now binding.

“Failure to implement the remedial action within 12 months of the date of the audit report will give effect to a ‘red card.’ The red card in practical terms is the referral of the alleged or suspected material irregularity to an appropriate body for an in-depth investigation,” said Makwetu.

“The outcome of such an investigation may be a certificate of debt, issued in the name of the responsible accounting officer/authority, or any other appropriate sanction levelled against the accounting officer or accounting authority.”

He said the three-tier model would provide the necessary mechanisms to monitor the implementation of his recommendations.