Chairperson, deliberations on the annual report of the South African Social Security Agency, Sassa, by the Portfolio Committee on Social Development were very thorough. Sassa provides social assistance to over 15 million South Africans. During the 2009-10 financial year there was a definite growth in the uptake percentages of the grant types.
In terms of the disability grant, there was a slight decrease - because of the temporary disability grants - of -1,790. In terms of the oldage uptake, there was an increase of 6,5%. In terms of the war veterans - the Second World War veterans - there was a decrease of 18,9% because of natural attrition. In terms of care dependency, there was a growth of 3,4%. There was a 9,2% growth in terms of the child support grant and a 7,6% growth in terms of the foster child grant.
The key strategic priorities for the 2009-10 financial year were customer- care-centred benefits administration and management systems, improved organisational capacity and, thirdly, comprehensive and integrated social security administration and services.
The committee accepted the audit response plan of the agency. The agency submitted the annual financial statements in August instead of on 31 May. They received a disclaimer audit report and, in terms of what they have presented to the committee, with the audit response plan, we were fairly satisfied that they would bring the agency back on track in terms of what it is supposed to be doing regarding its financial management.
This week, the new chief executive officer, CEO, presented to the portfolio committee plans to improve the management of the agency and also to improve service delivery innovation. This will obviously go a long way in ensuring that the agency operates optimally, as it is expected to. Coming to the recommendations of the portfolio committee, the committee said that the agency should conduct awareness campaigns to educate communities on age equalisation, on the old age grant for male beneficiaries of 60 years, and on the extension of the child support grant to 18-year-old beneficiaries. When we look at the child support grant, CSG, this will be especially great for keeping children in school, since children up to the age of 18 will now be eligible for the child support grant. The agency should also improve the review of social grants. The committee expressed concerns over the lengthy review period of social grants.
Lastly, the department and Sassa should focus more on monitoring and evaluation measures and, most importantly, on risk management as these are critical tools to curb the challenges faced by the agency in its operations.
Chairperson, I move:
That the report be adopted.
Agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.