The Director-General, Mr Victor Tharage, received a clean audit award on behalf of the Department of Tourism.  The 2016/17 Clean Audit Awards were hosted by the Auditor-General of South Africa on 29 September 2017.  

This honour is awarded to departments and public entities that received an unqualified audit with no other findings (clean audit) for the 2016/17 financial year.  This audit outcome confirms that the department’s financial statements are free from material misstatements, and have no material finding on compliance with legislation and on performance reporting. It provides assurance to the public that the resources allocated to the department are managed with care and for the purposes they are intended.

“A clean audit outcome is not an event.  It is earned throughout the year by consistent effort and clean administration”, Mr Tharage remarked.  

The Director-General acknowledges the role of various assurance providers including the Minister of Tourism, Tokozile Xasa, the Portfolio and Select Committees responsible for tourism in Parliament, the Audit Committee, and the management and staff of the Department of Tourism.  “It is with their combined effort on oversight, directing and operations that clean administration is achieved,” Mr Tharage said.

The award was particularly special as it is the department’s second consecutive clean audit award.  “Maintaining a clean audit in consecutive years requires vigilance to ensure that the department does not regress in its internal control environment.  We take pride that we have been able to do so,” added Tharage.  

Clean administration provides the springboard for the implementation of the strategy to grow inclusive tourism for the benefit of all South Africans and to deliver services to all stakeholders.  The Department is committed to ensure that the good governance standards will be maintained in order to preserve the public’s confidence.

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