DSBD Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report

Video   Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report (BRRR)   The Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development convened for the consideration and adoption of its 2024 Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report (BRRR), and the Committee's programme for the balance of the third term The Committee's Content Advisor gave a detailed presentation of the BRRR for the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD). The report consolidated the findings from recent oversight visits and outlined key recommendations focused on strengthening the oversight and accountability mechanisms within the Department. These recommendations were drawn from the observations made by the Auditor General (AG), as well as the Department’s continued efforts to enhance governance, improve departmental performance and optimise service delivery. The Members expressed appreciation for the comprehensive report, but highlighted areas requiring further analysis and action. There was general concern that performance reports did not necessarily reflect the reality on the ground, and a new approach should be considered to ensure departmental targets were relevant and their achievement was matched by actual service delivery. Key concerns included underspending by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) despite meeting targets, and a Member questioned whether achieving targets while underspending the budget meant that targets were being set too low. Other issues were the Small Enterprise Finance Agency’s (SEFA's) failure to achieve its goals, and the need for robust oversight to align reported outcomes with the actual performance of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The Members also emphasised the importance of ensuring accountability and supporting entities in addressing audit findings to improve their effectiveness.