The KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council says provincial departments will continue to improve their audit outcomes in future administrative terms.
“In keeping up with the improved audit outcomes for the 2022/23 financial year where, among others, 86% of the auditees submitted financial statements free from material misstatements, compared to 50% in the previous administration, the Executive Council declared that there will be more positive outcomes in the future,” said KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
She said while the Executive Council had laid a solid foundation for future clean audits, there was a need to provide guidance to those departments that were struggling to realise positive outcomes.
“This is about service delivery to our people and a government that is responsive to the needs of the people, anchored on compliance, accountability and transparency, among other pillars,” Dube-Ncube said.
The KwaZulu-Natal Business Unit Leader for the Auditor-General Nomalungelo Mkhize presented awards to the departments and entities that received clean audit outcomes during a ceremony on Wednesday.
The awards recognise good performance and good governance in the financial management.
Six departments, including the Office of the Premier; Provincial Treasury; Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism; Community Safety; and Agriculture and Rural Development, received clean audit outcomes for the 2022/23 audit cycle.
The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature also received a clean audit.
Twelve provincial public entities - including 10 which are under the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, one in Human Settlements and one in Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs - also received awards from the Auditor General for attaining clean audits.
The Auditor General lauded the provincial coordinating departments, including the Office of the Premier and the Provincial Treasury, for maintaining clean audit status thus setting a commendable example for the province.
The Auditor General said by coordinating departments the leadership had assisted other departments to improve undesirable or sustain positive audit outcomes though the various initiatives deployed.
The Premier commended the Director-General of the Province, Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, for providing seamless interaction between the Executive Council and government.
“Dr Mkhize is a diligent public servant and a strong bridge that not only connects government, through Heads of Department and Cabinet, but ensures that there is implementation of resolutions of the Executive Council. Clean governance is one of the core resolutions of Cabinet,” Dube-Ncube said.
The Premier said government’s full migration to digitisation will eliminate human errors and assist the Auditor General perform its duties with ease, speed and diligence. – SAnews.gov.za
