The Committee acknowledges the successes attained by the Department during this financial year. Most notably, the movement of the financial statements of the Water Trading Entity (WTE) from a disclaimer over the last few years to a qualified audit is praiseworthy. Although, the financial statements of the main account of the Department remains a qualified audit, the Auditor General's assessment that the financial affairs of the Department has improved significantly, in some respects, is very encouraging and must be acknowledged. The improvement of the financial management system of both the Main Account of the Department and of the WTE, is a substantial step in the right direction in terms of sound financial management.