(1)With reference to the Auditor-General’s latest Annual Report, how does the National Treasury intend to cover the budgetary shortfall that will be created by the proposed writing off of R58 million in unpaid audit fees;
(2) does the National Treasury intend to obtain a refund of the sum of R150 million assistance to be provided to the Auditor-General (AG), from those municipalities who have failed to settle their audit accounts and which have caused the need for such assistance to be given to the AG;
(3) whether he intends to set up some form of mediation committee to attempt to find resolutions in the cases where disputes arise between the AG and his auditees to prevent the unacceptable situation that ensues when two government departments or entities employ the services of private legal practitioners to argue their respective cases before the courts of the country, such as recently happened between the SA Revenue Service and the AG and the Department of Water and Sanitation and the AG;
(4) (a) what has so far been the total cost to the AG’s office for all legal fees and disbursements relating to litigation conducted by auditees against the AG in each of the past five financial years and (b) to which firms of attorneys were these costs paid;
(5) (a) on what legislative basis did he rely to settle the accounts of municipalities who owe the AG’s office unpaid audit fees and (b) does he intend to now also pay other debts owed by municipalities to other debtors from the National Revenue Fund?