MEC Tau fails to take responsibility for the GEP’s inefficiencies

21 April 2021

It is extremely concerning to note that the MEC for Economic Development, Parks Tau is now shifting the blame to the Auditor General’s (AG) office for the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) not submitting its financial statements on time for the 2019/20 financial year.

According to a reply to my questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, MEC Tau claims that the GEP’s financials were due to be audited in September 2020, but the AG had requested more time to complete the audit due to their internal quality assurance processes and challenges related to Covid-19. The audit was only completed in February this year.

It is unfortunate that the MEC chooses to not own up to the inefficiencies that clearly exist within the GEP, which is what led to the entity not submitting its financial statements timeously.

During a committee meeting, the AG indicated that the GEP had submitted its financial statements without evidence. It is clear that the new CEO has a hard task ahead of him in ensuring that the rot in this entity is cleaned up and that the GEP starts delivering on its core mandate to assist small businesses in the province.

Issued by Makashule Gana, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Economic Development, 21 April 2021