The Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development has invited the department to urgently present a revised strategic plan tomorrow, before the committee can adopt a budget vote report.

The committee has ascribed the late presentation of a revised strategic plan to gross incompetence at senior management level in the department. The committee expected the revised strategic plan to be presented for the first time in November 2017.

“It is frustrating that we are unable to proceed with our parliamentary work of adopting a budget vote report because the department took advantage of our kindness. We are not going to allow the department to render the committee ineffective,” said Ms Ruth Bhengu, Chairperson of the committee.

The committee strongly believes that key imperatives of the revised strategic plan will have significant financial implications and should be interrogated. These include, among other things, a revised organogram, budget allocation between programmes, and transfer of responsibilities to the Small Enterprise Finance Agency and Small Enterprise Development Agency.

Ms Bhengu said despite all the challenges, the Department of Small Business Development remains a key instrument in the fight against poverty, unemployment and inequality.