Department of Finance wins awards of accounting and reporting excellence

13 November 2010

The Mpumalanga Department of Finance has taken accountability to the new level, and was duly recognised with the Annual Public Sector Reporting Award for the best annual report for the year 2009/10 financial report.

The Awards for Pursuit of Excellence in Departmental Annual Reports are a significant and points to effectiveness of the systems to ensure accountability, transparency and openness.

The department has not only managed to achieve for the best annual report first place in Mpumalanga but also achieve the highest overall score among other provincial departments in the country.

“At a time, when the world at last seems to recover from the global financial crisis,…it is appropriate and praiseworthy that the Department of Finance has taken accountability to new levels”, said Prof Dieter Gloeck, Executive President of Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA) during the Annual Public Sector Reporting Award ceremony on November 12, 2010 at the Winkler.

“Percentages of 95 and above are far beyond the limits of a distinction and a great achievement, no matter from which perspective you look it”, remarks Gloeck.

Prof Dieter Gloeck commended progress made since the introduction of the awards, with more departments receiving the score of above 90 percent. “If we take into account the requirements set by National Treasury in respect of reporting and annual financial statements have steadily increased from year to year, the achievement gains even more in stature”.

The MEC of Finance, Mrs Pinky Phosa extended a word of gratitude and appreciation to the HOD and his team, the Chairperson of the Audit Committee and his team and all the key stakeholders who were instrumental in assisting the department to obtain this significant achievement.

“Your individual and collective contribution is profoundly appreciated”, she said adding that “Our biggest challenge would be to maintain the status quo, and also make sure that all Departments, Municipalities and Public Entities obtain a clean audit opinion in order to realize the objective of Operation Clean Audit by 2014”.

Tabling the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in October, Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordon said “clean administration is the central principle approach to supply chain management and ensuring value for money in government procurement of goods and services.”

This was the ninth year since the Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA) introduced a series of important awards in the public sector to recognize the pursuit of excellence in annual reports published by all provincial and national departments.