‘Problem children’ SEOs require immediate attention - Hlengwa
The new standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa says he will be prioritising state-owned entities - which he calls the country's "problem children".
Hlengwa, who is an MP from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), got the thumbs up from the ruling party as the new chairperson for Scopa last week.
Hlengwa says SOE's, along with problematic municipalities and ensuring a stronger working relationship with law enforcement agencies, are some of the urgent issues that need to beaddressed.
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He says SOE's such as Eskom and SAA are a serious drain on the fiscal.
"And the constant and persistent expectation that the taxpayer must give them a blank check which has materialised of course through these endless bailouts.
"So Eskom, SAA, Transnet, Prasa, SABC are all entities which will require our immediate focus as the committee."
Hlengwa says Scopa will be working with other portfolio and the government to ensure turn-around strategies are implemented to fix the entities.
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"There will be greater collaboration between Scopa and the relevant portfolio committees and to make sure that we actually turn things around, of course, consistent with the government programmes - as the shareholder in the SOE."