A reply to a DA parliamentary question has revealed that the National Treasury has spent R1,238,539 on pot plants over the past five years.<\/p>\n
At an average cost of R247,707 per year, and relative to the costs spent by other government departments on this line item, the political party called this expenditure ‘inexcusable’.<\/p>\n
The DA said it will request a briefing on this matter from the new Minister of Finance, Nhanhla Nene, and will submit further questions to ascertain whether any steps will be taken to limit future expenditure on this line item.<\/p>\n
“It is highly disappointing that despite former Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan\u2019s, commitment to belt tightening measures during his Medium Term Budget Review last year, Treasury failed to take its own advice,” the DA said.<\/p>\n
To date, Treasury has already spent nearly R40,000 this year on pot plant maintenance, eclipsing the Department of Tourism which succeeded in keeping their pot plant expenditure for the past five years to under R20,000.<\/p>\n
“If financial prudence is not exercised within Treasury, it is unsurprising that state departments such as Science and Technology succeeded in spending R1,074,429 on the maintenance of plants over the past five years,” the DA said.<\/p>\n
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