Public Service Commission flags justice & constitutional development’s tardy payments
Of 40 national departments, only 17 fully complied with the requirement of timely payouts for suppliers, the body says
11 March 2024 - 15:35
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Public Service Commission commissioner Anele Gxoyiya briefed media on the quarterly bulletin titled 'The Pulse of the Public Service'. The PSC also briefed media on the outcomes of its plenary meeting held from March 6 to 8. Picture: SIYABULELA DUDA
The department of justice & constitutional development is the main culprit for failing to pay its suppliers timeously.
This is for the number of invoices and the rand value of supplier invoices that are late or unpaid at national level in the second quarter of 2023/24, the Public Service Commission (PSC) said on Monday.
At end-September 2023, the department had 4,554 unpaid invoices older than 30 days and totalling R48m.
The national department of health was second with 202 unpaid invoices amounting to R8.2m. The water & sanitation department had 103 unpaid invoices totalling R728,000.
Of 40 national departments, only 17 fully complied with the requirement of timely payments for suppliers for the second quarter of 2023/24.
PSC commissioner Anele Gxoyiya said this is an improvement from 15 departments in the first quarter of the same financial year.
“The total number of invoices paid after 30 days by national departments amounts to 33,394, to the value of R1bn, whereas in the first quarter these departments recorded 26,223 invoices to the value of R1.2bn,” Gxoyiya said.
He expressed concern about the 23 departments that were unable to pay on time.
“The departments are encouraged to pay all legitimate invoices from suppliers within 30 days as required by the Public Finance Management Act and its related prescripts.”
Provincial departments paid 48,478 invoices after 30 days for a total of R5.9bn, compared with 90,935 invoices for R9.9bn in the first quarter.
North West provincial departments reported the highest number of invoices paid after 30 days, which amounted to 14,676 with a value of R759m in the second quarter.
Gxoyiya said the most common reasons given by national and provincial departments for late invoice payment and nonpayment include inadequate budgets and conflicts with suppliers about invoices received.
By December 31 2023 the commission had registered 382 grievances, including 118 carried over from the previous financial year.
Departments failed
“Of the 382 grievances received, 68 (18%) were not properly referred and 314 (82%) were properly referred. The PSC has noted that of the 314 grievances properly referred to the PSC, about 95% are referred by employees while 5% are referred by executive authorities.”
He said the referral of grievances by employees indicates that departments have failed to resolve the grievances internally within the prescribed time frames.
“While 197 (63%) of the 314 appropriately referred cases were concluded by the end of December 2023, 117 (37%) remained pending. Of the 197 concluded cases, 24 (12%) were substantiated, 86 (44%) were unsubstantiated, 14 (7%) were partially substantiated, nine (5%) were internally resolved within departments after the PSC’s intervention and the remaining 64 were closed after the PSC established the same matters had been referred to the bargaining councils and labour courts,” Gxoyiya said.
A total of 28,481 reports of alleged corruption were generated through the case management system during the first, second and third quarters of the 2023/24 financial year and referred to the departments and public bodies for investigation.
“The total number of cases reported against national departments are 161, provinces 62 and public bodies 894.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Public Service Commission flags justice & constitutional development’s tardy payments
Of 40 national departments, only 17 fully complied with the requirement of timely payouts for suppliers, the body says
The department of justice & constitutional development is the main culprit for failing to pay its suppliers timeously.
This is for the number of invoices and the rand value of supplier invoices that are late or unpaid at national level in the second quarter of 2023/24, the Public Service Commission (PSC) said on Monday.
At end-September 2023, the department had 4,554 unpaid invoices older than 30 days and totalling R48m.
The national department of health was second with 202 unpaid invoices amounting to R8.2m. The water & sanitation department had 103 unpaid invoices totalling R728,000.
Of 40 national departments, only 17 fully complied with the requirement of timely payments for suppliers for the second quarter of 2023/24.
PSC commissioner Anele Gxoyiya said this is an improvement from 15 departments in the first quarter of the same financial year.
“The total number of invoices paid after 30 days by national departments amounts to 33,394, to the value of R1bn, whereas in the first quarter these departments recorded 26,223 invoices to the value of R1.2bn,” Gxoyiya said.
He expressed concern about the 23 departments that were unable to pay on time.
“The departments are encouraged to pay all legitimate invoices from suppliers within 30 days as required by the Public Finance Management Act and its related prescripts.”
Provincial departments paid 48,478 invoices after 30 days for a total of R5.9bn, compared with 90,935 invoices for R9.9bn in the first quarter.
North West provincial departments reported the highest number of invoices paid after 30 days, which amounted to 14,676 with a value of R759m in the second quarter.
Gxoyiya said the most common reasons given by national and provincial departments for late invoice payment and nonpayment include inadequate budgets and conflicts with suppliers about invoices received.
By December 31 2023 the commission had registered 382 grievances, including 118 carried over from the previous financial year.
Departments failed
“Of the 382 grievances received, 68 (18%) were not properly referred and 314 (82%) were properly referred. The PSC has noted that of the 314 grievances properly referred to the PSC, about 95% are referred by employees while 5% are referred by executive authorities.”
He said the referral of grievances by employees indicates that departments have failed to resolve the grievances internally within the prescribed time frames.
“While 197 (63%) of the 314 appropriately referred cases were concluded by the end of December 2023, 117 (37%) remained pending. Of the 197 concluded cases, 24 (12%) were substantiated, 86 (44%) were unsubstantiated, 14 (7%) were partially substantiated, nine (5%) were internally resolved within departments after the PSC’s intervention and the remaining 64 were closed after the PSC established the same matters had been referred to the bargaining councils and labour courts,” Gxoyiya said.
A total of 28,481 reports of alleged corruption were generated through the case management system during the first, second and third quarters of the 2023/24 financial year and referred to the departments and public bodies for investigation.
“The total number of cases reported against national departments are 161, provinces 62 and public bodies 894.”
TimesLIVE
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