Minister must investigate Treasury resignations and vacancies

Recent replies to DA Parliamentary questions (here and here) reveal significant resignation and vacancy rates at senior levels in National Treasury. In particular, 25 senior employees have left the department in the past year, leading to a 21% increase in the vacancy rate for senior positions. 

The replies also reveal extremely long vacancy periods for key positions such as the Director: Regulation and Competition (vacant for 29 months), the Director: Public Sector Personnel Policy (vacant for 19 months) and the Head of National Capital Projects (vacant for 36 months), as well as a vacancy for the position of Accountant-General.

I will today write to the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, asking him to launch an investigation into the vacancies and the reasons several of them have gone unfilled for so long. The findings of such an investigation should be tabled before Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance committee as soon as possible.

If the worrying vacancy rates experienced by Treasury in any way impairs its ability to deliver on its mandate Minister Gordhan has a responsibility to hold those responsible to account - I therefore trust that he will heed this request.

Statement issued by Tim Harris MP, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, July 15 2013

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