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Treasury officials briefed Parliament’s standing committee on Tuesday about procurement appropriations to counter the pandemic.
Treasury CEO Dondo Mogajane at an inter-ministerial briefing on the coronavirus on March 24, 2020. Image: @ TreasuryRSA / Twitter
CAPE TOWN – The National Treasury said Tuesday that the public perception that the government’s COVID-19 aid package of R500 billion has been looted was incorrect.
Treasury officials briefed Parliament’s standing committee on Tuesday about procurement appropriations to counter the pandemic.
They also revealed that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the South African Post Office and the South African Airports Company (Acsa) have requested funds to help them deal with the economic impact of the shutdown.
Treasury CEO Dondo Mogajane said public perception of rampant embezzlement of COVID relief funds is incorrect: “Sometimes we tend to hold onto information that the public should know. 500 billion rand was neither eaten nor stolen, in the way it is perceived. We can break it down; we can explain the details to you. “
The supplemental budget review in June proposed R145 billion for the COVID-19 aid package, of which R122.4 billion was allocated. To date, the national and provincial departments and entities have recorded a spending of only R18 billion.
However, Estelle Setan from the Treasury Department cautioned that this could be a significant understatement, as information is still pending.
Meanwhile, the South African post office has requested R4.9 billion in financial support, the SABC wants E1.5 billion and Acsa has requested a 3.5 billion government guarantee.
These requests will be addressed in the adjustment budget that the Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, will present in October when he delivers his Statement of Medium-Term Budget Policy.
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