The Executive Council (Exco) during its first meeting last Tuesday discussed the possibility of merging government departments and transferring responsibilities.
This according to Transport and Community Safety MEC, Dickson Masemola who conducted the post Exco media briefing at the Office of the Premier a day after the meeting. He indicated that the process would include thorough consultation with employers and employee representatives to ensure that there is no loss of employment or benefits. The proposed reconfiguration would be done within the public service legal prescripts, he explained.
Masemola went on to indicate that plans existed to merge the departments of Community Safety and Transport into one which is to be renamed Department of Transport and Community Safety with one MEC and one head of department. The road maintenance functions from the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure would be moved to Road Agency Limpopo.
“Plans are in place to relocate the Early Childhood Development functions from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Education. Relocating the Limpopo Agri-Business Development Corporation from Limpopo Economic Development Agency (Leda) to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and re-establish the Limpopo Business Support Agency (Libsa) as a stand-alone entity with the MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism Thabo Mokone as the shareholder are also on the cards,” Masemola said.
He further highlighted that a task team would be constituted to conduct a substantive feasibility study on the unbundling of Leda’s structure, adding that they would also undertake a review of the roles and responsibilities of the Provincial Treasury and Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs in executing their municipal finance functions to eliminate duplications and to create synergy between the two departments.
Masemola reiterated the need to undertake a diagnostic re-engineering of the organisational structure of the Department of Health to enhance the effectiveness and efficiencies within the departmental Human Resources and financial management performance. He concluded by saying plans were also in place to transfer HIV/Aids functions in schools to the Department of Health.
Masemola went on to clarify that a report on the revenue and expenditure for the provincial administration for the period that ended on 30 April was also presented to the Exco. He further said the report highlighted that the overall provincial expenditure was R5,1 billion representing 7,3% of the R69,5 billion allocated budget, compensation of employees recorded an expenditure of R3,9 billion or 8% of the total budget of R49,1 billion while goods and services recorded an expenditure of R762,4 million or 7,5% of the total budget of R10,1 billion. Transfers and subsidies recorded an expenditure of R357,6 million or 4,4% of the total budget of R8,2 billion with payment for capital assets recording an expenditure of R53,6 million or 2,8% of the total budget of R2,0 billion while conditional grants recorded an expenditure of R316,7 million or 3,5% of the total budget of R9 billion, Masemola explained.
He also indicated that the provincial infrastructure recorded an expenditure of R226,9 million or 4% of the total budget of R5,6 billion while the total provincial own revenue target for 2019/20 financial year was R1,3 billion and at the end of April the province had collected an amount of R95,8 million or 7,3% of the annual revenue target.
Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
