Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism
With reference to the audit processes and outcomes of the Auditor-General (AG):
Whether a copy of the management letter or letters issued by the Auditor-General for his departments in the (i) 2023/24 and (ii) 2024/25 financial years can be made available?
I believe my Department has disposed of the duty to Report in terms of the legislation and frameworks as set out below.
The Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act 1 of 1999), provides accounting officers with flexibility and autonomy to manage government departments. However, to ensure accountability, the accounting officer is expected to report on the activities of a Department in an Annual Report. National Treasury has developed guidelines for legislative oversight on annual reports. The PFMA, the Treasury Guidelines for Annual Reporting, Treasury Regulations, 2001 and the Public Service Regulations provides the framework for compiling and reporting on annual reports. According to the NT guidelines for legislative oversight, the PFMA 1999 gives effect to financial management reforms that place greater implementation responsibility on managers in the public service, and makes them more accountable for their performance. In the first instance, it is left to the Member of the Executive (Cabinet) to resolve any management failures – however, thereafter, the provincial legislatures are vested with the power to oversee both the administration and the executive. Annual reports allow Provincial Parliament to evaluate the performance of a department after the end of the financial year.
The Department has already accounted fully to the WCPP through the tabling of its Annual Report, which report fulfils the purpose set out in section 188(3) of the Constitution, Section 40 of the PFMA and section 20 of the Public Audit Act and sufficiently capacitates the WCPP to exercise its oversight functions vis-à-vis the Department.
