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Parly committee welcomes SASSA-SAPO resolution

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 12 Dec 2017
The post office has received the green light to administer SASSA payments.
The post office has received the green light to administer SASSA payments.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in Parliament has commended the deal struck between the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the South African Post Office (SAPO).

Scopa, which has been critical of minister Bathabile Dlamini and SASSA as the social grants debacle played out, pointed out the deal brings to an end the uncertainty and anxiety of grant recipients.

Jeff Radebe, minister in the presidency and chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), announced at the weekend SAPO will be the official distributor of SASSA grants, effective 1 April 2018.

The IMC was established to ensure successful transition from incumbent distributor to new services provider ahead of the expiry of the extended payments contract.

The committee expressed discontent over SASSA's "incompetence and obfuscation" in the social grants matter, and noted the limited time left to ensure payment of 17 million social grants is well executed ahead of the 31 March 2018 deadline.

The post office must work hard and quickly to ensure there is a seamless transition, so grant recipients receive their grants on time in 2018, says Scopa in a statement.

"The grant distribution debacle must be a lesson to all departments and Cabinet ministers that they cannot avoid accountability. This episode has once again proved that Parliament can achieve good results for all South Africans."

Scopa chairperson Themba Godi noted members of the committee look forward to engaging with the IMC in January 2018 on the substance of the agreement and the implementation milestones thus far.

"Scopa remains committed to holding to account all departments and entities on the management of public funds," Godi says.

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