1. Vacancies. Although the Department's overall vacancy rate is at about 10%, the Committee remains particularly dissatisfied that the vacancy rate at SMS level hovers at around 17%. Despite the Minister's assurance that filling of SMS vacancies is a priority, the position of Chief Financial Officer is still filled by an acting appointment and the vacancy rates of critical occupations are too high. Many times previously, the Committee has expressed its fear that, unless the vacancies in management are filled, the effectiveness of the Department's running may be compromised. The Committee requests that the Department provides an updated report on its efforts to address its vacancies at SMS level by 19 July 2013. The Department should also be prepared to brief it on this at the next quarterly meeting. The Committee also notes with concern that the Department plans to allow its overall vacancy rate to increase from around 10% to 11%, given the current budget cuts. Although the increase is small and the Committee is sympathetic to the Department's predicament, the Committee feels that this is a step in the wrong direction.