Public Audit Bill to give AG more clout

AUDITOR-GENERAL Kimi Makwetu could have more power by the end of the month to clamp down on corruption in government and state-owned entities.

The parliamentary standing committee on the auditorgeneral is working on the Public Audit Bill and Speaker Baleka Mbete has asked that it be concluded by the end of March.

Chairperson of the committee Vincent Smith said the law was being tightened because an increase in irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure had been noted and it was necessary to clamp down on those involved.

The auditor-general has for years complained to the standing committee on public accounts and other committees in Parliament that his recommendations are not being implemented.

There was a lack of consequences for those responsible for wrongdoing in government and state-owned enterprises, he said.

Some MPS have said the auditor-general’s powers must be expanded to allow him to hold culprits accountable.

In his audit outcomes report in November, Makwetu said irregular expenditure had increased from R29 billion to R45.6bn.

Smith said a bill that would stand constitutional muster was needed.

“The intention is to assist lawmakers with the law that will stand the test of time. When we deliver the product in the National Assembly it must stand the test of time and meet constitutional muster.”

The auditor-general’s office is one of several Chapter 9 institutions that keeps an eye on the government.

The Constitutional Court ruled in the Nkandla judgment in 2016 that the findings of the public protector were binding.

This followed an intense debate in the National Assembly, with the ANC questioning former public protector Thuli Madonsela.

However, the court ruling clarified the powers of the public protector and the findings.

Smith said the committee was not trying to do anything other than to give the auditorgeneral more powers to deal with wrongdoing.

“The mischief we were trying to fix by giving teeth to the auditor-general was primarily the escalation of irregular expenditure. That was our primary objective.”

The escalation has been evident in the audit outcome reports the auditor-general had tabled in the past few years.

In the 2014/15 financial year, irregular expenditure was R23.1bn. It shot up to R29.4bn the following financial year. In the 2016/17 financial period, irregular expenditure increased to R45.6bn.