On Monday evening at the Auditor General Awards held in Cape Town, the George Local Municipality was proud to receive the trophy which celebrates the achievement of a second clean audit report for the 2012/13 financial year – one of only nine municipalities in the Western Cape to do so.
This highlights the single minded commitment of the George municipality’s leadership, to lead and set the right tone; that it has been a priority in George to ensure that the internal controls and systems are in place and nothing less than a clean administration will be accepted. Emphasis has been placed on producing reliable accounts on the revenue, expenses, liabilities and assets. Attention is paid to corroborating service delivery reports and measures have been put in place to ensure legislated duties are being performed and prohibited transaction are prevented.
Executive Mayor of George, Charles Standers indicated his pride in the achievement and the continued commitment to the strategic goal of good governance in George. “This is surely an outstanding achievement and an indication of the fiscal discipline of our municipality and stable political leadership, “he said.
Councillor Leon Van Wyk, Portfolio Councillor for the Directorate of Financial Services is positive that the consistent achievement of a clean audit will enable George to focus on longer-term financial sustainability. This mindset will drive the ongoing maintenance of infrastructure, a major and ongoing challenge for all local authorities. We want to improve opportunities and the future prospects, of our inhabitants, as the leading secondary city in the country”, said Councillor Van Wyk.
Mayor Standers in tabling the draft 2014/15 budget earlier this week pointed out that the residents of George are accustomed to a high standard of reliable services and these in turn improve the attractiveness of George as an investment destination to ensure economic growth and job creation. The achievement of a clean audit report for the second year is yet another major drawcard for such investment.
Municipal Manager, Trevor Botha thanked the officials in the municipality for their tremendous effort and team work. “We are thankful to all who contribute to the efficient functioning of the municipality and we are hopeful that this trend of dedication and commitment towards maintaining our clean audit status will persist and continuously encourage us to perform even better.”
Keith Jordaan, Chief Financial Officer explained that the role of the accounting officer of a Municipality is to prepare and present the financial statements as determined by legislation. The accounting officer must also ensure that proper internal controls are in place to enable the preparation of statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. Mr Jordaan extended his gratitude towards his staff for their contribution in working so hard towards making George Municipality the best it can be.
