Stats SA counts own costs

2003-03-10 18:01

Cape Town - Statistics South Africa (SSA), the organisation tasked with compiling accurate official figures on a range of population, economic and development data, has been having some counting problems of its own.

This is revealed in its annual report for the 2001/02 financial year, tabled at parliament on Monday, which shows SSA overspent on Census 2001 by R122m.

According to the Auditor-General's office, the overspending was unauthorised, and the "validity, accuracy and completeness" of R48m of the amount - apparently paid to census field staff - could not be verified.

In a qualified audit, attached to the SSA's annual report, the A-G further notes the same applies to R249m paid to enumerators, which "could not be verified as the department could not submit sufficient records, for example, applications or contracts".

Also, the "accuracy of income tax (R8m) and regional service levies (R901491) calculations on the above-mentioned payments could not be determined".

"The financial records available at the time did not permit the application of adequate alternative procedures to confirm the accuracy, validity and completeness of the amounts mentioned," the A-G report states.

As a result, neither income tax nor the regional services levies had been paid, "since the relevant reconciliations had not yet been completed".

"These non-payments may result in penalties and interest, which may result in fruitless and wasteful expenditure," it says.

According to SSA's report, spending on the census made up 83 percent of its total spending for the 2001/02 financial year.

Census 2001 was carried out in October and November of that year, in a counting operation involving 104 000 field staff in 74 655 so-called "enumerator areas" across the whole country.

In terms of legislation, a population census must be held every five years. The aim is to provide comprehensive, small area information on the number and living situation of South Africans.

- SAPA