National Treasury has barely made a dent in cutting wasteful spending despite the desperate attempts by the Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene.<\/p>\n
This is according to the Democratic Alliance, which noted that minister Nene is desperately trying to cut spending on \u201cnon-core goods and services\u201d including consultants, travel and catering, which cost R25 billion in 2013\/14.<\/p>\n
The cost containment measures were originally introduced by former Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, and were outlined in National Treasury Instruction 01 of 2013\/2014.<\/p>\n
The DA noted that a reply to a parliamentary question<\/a> reveals that belt-tightening measures, imposed by the National Treasury, are being resisted.<\/p>\n “National Treasury has been faced with numerous requests for deviations from cost containment measures, including requests from the Presidency, the Department of Defence and the Department of State Security,” said the DA’s David Maynier.<\/p>\n However, the Mpumalanga Gambling Board requested the following deviations:<\/p>\n National Treasury, the DA said, refused to approve most of the requests for deviations from cost containment measures. “However, in the end National Treasury seems to be losing the war on waste.”<\/p>\n National Treasury saved only R2 billion, or 8% of the total amount spent on consultants, travel and catering, in 2014\/15 compared to 2013\/14, the political party said.<\/p>\n “What is worse is that savings, as a result of cutting spending consultants, travel and catering, are often rolled into other categories of wasteful expenditure, such as new ministerial vehicles.<\/p>\n “The adjusted budget reveals, for example, that R1.25 million, saved inter alia on travel and subsistence, in the Department of Health, was rolled over to purchase new ministerial vehicles for Dr Aaron Motsoaledi,” Maynier said.<\/p>\n Treasury clamps down on government\u2019s luxury Christmas spending<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Public works loses R35 billion in wasteful spending: report<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
More on government spending<\/h3>\n