The Committee expressed concern that the overall expenditure of the Department has regressed in the past three years even though it was supposed to set an example to other departments given the fact that it was the custodian of the financial regulation frameworks in the country. The Committee made reference to the high vacancy rate within the Department which stood at 122 (for specialised skills) during the period under review and clarity was sought on how it would be addressed since it impacted negatively on service delivery.