R50 million worth of job creating projects squandered
29 March 2015
At Friday's meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, I raised the issue that the National Department of Tourism (NDT) had failed to implement R50 million worth of projects associated with the Social Responsibility Implementation (SRI) program. The SRI is an Expanded Public Works Program with the objective of poverty alleviation and job creation through tourism.
According to the schedule of projects submitted to Committee, a substantial number of projects have been placed on hold as a result of poor management from project implementer's, some of whom are under forensic review. What is of even more concern is that some of these projects and investigations into them date as far back as 2011.
To date, the results of the forensic audit have not been tabled in the Portfolio Committee, to allow Parliament to ascertain if any action has been taken against officials implicated in corrupt practices in relation to the SRI projects.
I will write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, Beatrice Ngcobo, requesting that she summon the Director-General of the NDT, as the accounting officer, so that he may table the results of the forensic audit into SRI projects and project implementer's.