Gaal incurs shocking irregular expenditure

During a recent public hearing held at Parliamentary village the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) expressed its disappointment about Gateway Airport Authority Limited’s (Gaal) lack of adequate internal controls and consequence management.
This after the committee learnt that the entity incurred irregular expenditure amounting to R13 477 million in the 2017/18 financial year and R355 592 in 2018/19. It was reported that Scopa has also noted that the entity had cumulated irregular expenditure amounting to R39 019 million from previous financial years due to, among others, supply chain management transgressions and human resource non-compliance. According to information made available to Polokwane Observer, Scopa strongly emphasised that the accounting officer and the executing authority should implement recommendations of the forensic investigations report pending the conclusion of investigations on accumulated irregular expenditure to the tune of R39 019 million.
It was further learnt that the entity also incurred fruitless and wasteful expenditure to the tune of R1 206 million due to late payment of accounts, value-added tax (VAT) returns and VAT paid to non-vendors.
The committee recommended that the entity should implement sound and improved control systems, appoint staff that is adequately skilled and trained and implement consequence management. Scopa further requested Gaal to make an application to regularise irregular expenditure to Provincial Treasury and submit a report to the committee.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za