Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel has called for an end to the management failures and ”lunacy” in the country’s public sector, saying the finances channelled to government have to be translated into concrete improvements in poverty, education and services.
Speaking on the first day of the Senior Management Service (SMS) conference in Cape Town on Monday, during which top civil servants are discussing the topic of ”the effort to achieve integrated governance and a developmental state”, Manuel acknowledged that to date, the civil service has been unsuccessful at avoiding management failures, blaming them on a ”collective failure” of systems as well as managers themselves.
”We must improve the budgeting of the developmental state so finances are translated into qualified teachers, school books and relevant and high-quality education,” he urged. ”We must also invest in the long-term ability of society to increase economic growth and employment, while focusing on short-term measures to boost growth such as investments in ports and roads.”
He said the government’s Budget has to manage a ”delicate balance” between funds for social development and those for economic development — between social grants and economic investment.
”One criticism of our budget framework has been that it is not focused sufficiently on the efficiency of state-owned enterprises, ports and road quality. There have been concerns that we have been strong on social and human development but weak on investing in economic development.
”We must improve the balance of the current budget. It’s not all about social grants — there must also be improvement in economic growth spending. It’s about managing the delicate balance between the two.”
He concluded by urging conference participants to take on their responsibilities with humility and values.
”Senior civil servants translate financial resources to real inputs, such as better education and health services, genuinely empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty. It is a huge responsibility that one must take on with humility, while being custodians of value systems.” — I-Net Bridge