Parliament, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs urged the Minister of Home Affairs to speed up the process of appointing a permanent Chief Executive Officer at the Government Printing Works (GPW). The Committee received a briefing from the GPW on its 2017/2018 Annual Performance Plan and budget allocation.
The appointment of a permanent CEO will go a long way towards ensuring accountability and adherence to good governance principles. The Committee considers it untenable for an institution to function adequately for a long time without a permanent accounting officer.
The Committee also called for the department and the GPW to expedite the process of conversion from a government component to a state-owned entity, to ensure that the company operates as a business concern, outside the public service. The Committee is looking forward to engaging with the proposed Bill converting the entity to ensure that it expeditiously delivers on its constitutional mandate.
The automation of processes within the entity is welcomed and encouraged, but the Committee has highlighted the unintended risk of job losses as a result of automation. As such, the Committee has urged the entity to put re-skilling initiatives in place to ensure employability and job-security. This will enable the entity to contribute to job-creation targets, as per the National Development Plan.
The Committee was also concerned about the issue of security at GPW premises. This is primarily because the entity has employed the services of a private security firm without vetting the people employed as guards. The entity handles sensitive documentation and must be adequately secured to ensure the legitimacy of the documents.
The Committee is encouraged that processes have been put in place to address matters of emphasis raised by the Auditor-General in the previous financial year. These include the training of supply chain management staff as well as aligning processes to Treasury directives. The Committee will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the initiatives to ensure that GPW receives a clean audit.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS, MR LEMIAS MASHILE.
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