EDITORIAL: Teeth for the auditor-general
A relatively small change to the Public Audit Act could have a big impact
Everyone would agree that the office of the auditor-general has done an admirable job in auditing government books. The office has maintained its independence, integrity and professionalism in the face of an onslaught of corruption on state institutions, which has seen the criminal justice system hollowed out and state capacity weakened. Everyone would also agree that the Public Finance Management Act is a beautiful piece of legislation, designed in accordance with the Constitution to protect the public finances. The Treasury, which is the overall enforcer of the act, has also done an admirable job in safeguarding the nation’s resources. But despite the strength of these institutions and a strong legal framework that has been in place since 1999, irregular, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure amounts to billions every year. The auditor-general reported last week that irregular expenditure in national and provincial government entities reached R45bn in 2016-17. As not all entities ...
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