One of the key issues raised by the Committee was how the budget for staff could have increased when there were no appointments and filling of vacancies in the Department. The Department also indicated that the salary increases of 7% for levels1-12 was approved by the Department of Public Service and Administration. The IT manager was appointed in May 2013 after the position was vacant for a whole year. The Department reported that it filled vacancies from levels 2-12, but had difficulty filling vacancies from level 13 upwards.