Hon Speaker, the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour has considered the performance of the department and its entities. After considering the presentation made by the department on the annual report and the input from the Auditor-General and the advisory boards, the committee has made various observations and recommendations.
With the expanded mandate of employment, the Department of Employment and Labour will be required to change its approach from mere compliance enforcement to the co- ordination of all government efforts to create jobs and reduce unemployment.
The Department of Employment and Labour will now be expected, among other things, to contribute to bringing
about a qualitative structural shift in employment. The above broad functions of the department will surely require an increase in the budget allocation to set the proper structures, repositioning reinforcement and capacity enhancement for the execution of this fresh and progressive mandate.
The department has five entities that are playing a pivotal role and a transformational developmental role in our country, and therefore they ought to be guarded jealously. The portfolio committee will constantly monitor the implementation of the Compensation Fund Action Plan, which is an instrument of improving the performance of this entity on many fronts, responding to the findings of at least three investigations that were conducted in the entity as well as improving its audit outcomes which have seen disclaimers for several years. There shall be no hesitation in taking further action in the event of satisfactory results not occurring.
The manner in which the Unemployment Insurance Fund ...