The oversight visit to the Province of the Northern Cape, similar to the oversight visit to the Province of Mpumalanga that has been conducted by the Committees in 2009, has revealed that many national and provincial departments owe money to municipalities for services rendered by these municipalities on behalf of the provincial and national departments. The challenge is that provincial and national departments are providing all sorts of excuses for their failure to pay municipalities. These unfortunate situations have left municipalities with insufficient funds to finance other municipal services. In turn, service delivery is grossly compromised. The Committees advises all provincial and national departments who owe money to municipalities to effect these payments with immediate effect without any further excuses for their inability to pay them.