Local News
National and provincial government departments under scrutiny─── CATHY DLODLO 11:19 Thu, 30 Jul 2015
Bloemfontein - Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations has asked that the financial state of all government departments - on national and provincial level – also be scrutinised by National Treasury and penalised for outstanding debt.
This after National Treasury took a decision earlier this year to withhold the equitable share of municipalities who continued to default on their debt to Eskom and Water Boards.
Committee members said while municipalities have been penalised – with the withholding of funds negatively impacting on service delivery – heads of department and chief financial officers are being let off the hook with a mere warning.
Meanwhile the applicable departments' outstanding debt for services delivered to municipalities is one of the reasons why municipalities are cash-strapped. Thirteen Free State municipalities formed part of the group of more than 50 that had their equitable share withheld until payment agreements were accepted.
Cathy Dlodlo/OFM News
