The Department of Social Development (DSD) will implement a number of IT systems to improve its service delivery.
Delivering the department's budget vote, minister Bathabile Dlamini said the improvements will be made specifically for the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).
She added that the agency has made some improvements, but still needs certain upgrades.
“Our grants delivery system continues to make commendable improvements. During the period under review, SASSA has successfully managed to reduce the cost of grants distribution by R500 million. Furthermore, the agency reduced irregular expenditure from R69 million in 2009 to R2.6 million in 2010.”
The minister also said the agency reduced its deficit by half and has been sending out monthly payments efficiently.
No dignity
“However, we are perturbed by the fact that the office of the auditor-general gave SASSA a disclaimer in its audit findings, which relate to a range of matters such as the implementation of the financial system, the problematic document management system, etc.”
Dlamini said this is because, despite SASSA's service delivery improvement efforts, it continues to face challenges in respect of the administration of social grants and has a lack of modernisation.
“Beneficiaries are not always treated with dignity. The processing and payments of grants, especially at pay points, is still a far cry from the ideal of a humane, dignified and citizen-focused service.”
In response to these challenges, SASSA will implement a number of initiatives set out in its service delivery improvement plan, according to the minister.
The plan covers a business process improvement and automation of processes to expedite and secure the reliability of the document system.
It also includes the introduction of a new payment system over a five-year period to reduce disbursement costs, while enhancing the experience of beneficiaries.
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