Chairperson, this weekend's City Press Report reveals that in excess of R30 billion was spent on consultants by national and provincial government departments during the past financial year.
This astronomical amount is a fifth of last year's entire health budget and six times what was spent on environmental protection, and more than enough to cover the entire Gauteng e-toll project which motorists are now paying for.
This expenditure has taken place despite announcements by former and current Finance Ministers that cost-containing instructions were issued to combat wasteful expenditure, which included curtailing the budget for consultants while allocations for consultants' services have been curbed.
The figures, however, show that this Treasury directive has had little or no effect on the continued expenses incurred through employing the services of consultants. The only notable and commendable reductions is seen in the national Department of Human Settlement, where the expenditure has dropped from R102 million in the 2012-13 financial year to R42 million in the past financial year.
As the NFP, we express our concern and dismay at this continued wasteful expenditure. We call for a full disclosure by all departments as to the reasons why Public Service activities have been outsourced, why the departments lack the expertise to perform these activities and duties themselves and who these consultants are. Thank you.
