Department refutes media reports on R500 Million surrendered to Treasury
13 November 2012
The Department of Human Settlements refutes the factually misleading media reports that it has surrendered R500 million to National Treasury as a result of under-spending and will soon be placed under administration. The reports published in one of daily newspapers (12 November 2012) suggest that the Department has failed to deliver houses in various municipalities; therefore the money had to be returned to treasury.
The Department would like to put it categorically to the citizens of the province and the country that it will NOT surrender money to the National Treasury. Recently, a Human Settlements forum of the Minister and MECs (MINMEC) sat in Durban and received provincial reports. The forum has pronounced itself on the matter of under-spending and commended the Department that it is not going to surrender money to the National fiscus, therefore affecting service delivery.
“The recent MINMEC held with the Minister revealed that Mpumalanga is doing well and is among the top three provinces which are on track in utilising funds allocated to them. The recovery plan presented by the Department at MINMEC was hailed as the most credible, workable and reliable only if it can be implemented to the latter in a bid to meet all commitments by the end of the financial year”, charges MEC Siphosezwe Masango.
The Department’s spending is currently at 47 % and it has since developed a recovery plan and a Trouble Shooting Task Team which monitors contractors to ensure that they meet their targets.
The Department is of the view that if all contractors can meet their targets by the end of December 2012, it may even ask for extra funds from Human Settlements that may be surrendered by other Provinces.
Contact person
Freddy Ngobe
Cell:
082 859 4630
Tel:
013 766 6014
ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE MPUMALANGA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
