THE National Youth Development Agency received an unqualified audit report for its latest financial results, despite a year of negative publicity, chief executive officer Steven Ngubeni said yesterday.
"Despite the mostly negative criticism, the NYDA once again attained a clean audit opinion from the Auditor-General of South Africa," he told reporters in Midrand.
The NYDA has come under fire for exceeding its original budget of R69-million to host the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students in December last year.
At the time, the NYDA said the cost had risen to R100-million. Yesterday, Ngubeni said the final cost of the event came to R106-million.
"The R6-million increase on the originally reported figure is mainly due to the late receipt of invoices relating to travel and accommodation."
He said the A-G had highlighted some problematic areas, but these did not affect his clean audit.
Ngubeni said some of the matters had since been resolved and they were working tirelessly to improve them.
"The NYDA is committed to good governance and proper financial management, and has heeded the recommendations made by the A-G," Ngubeni said.
The agency said that it had created more than 18 000 jobs compared to the set target of 14 000, and had surpassed its projection of approving R11-million in loans for small business development by granting R41,7-million to young people.
On the agency's education and skills development programmes, the NYDA said it had enrolled 2 039 learners on a massive matric rewrite project - this against a target of 2000.
Ngubeni said that despite their achievements, "there are still too many young people that we are unable to reach, hence the need for additional resources".
The report also indicates that more than 66 000 youths were enrolled and participated in the government's National Youth Service (NYS) programmes, and of these more than 18 000 had been recruited to volunteer in the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
The NYS had entered into a total of 49 partnership agreements with national and provincial departments as well as municipalities, Ngubeni said.
Youth Agency receives unqualified audit report
THE National Youth Development Agency received an unqualified audit report for its latest financial results, despite a year of negative publicity, chief executive officer Steven Ngubeni said yesterday.
"Despite the mostly negative criticism, the NYDA once again attained a clean audit opinion from the Auditor-General of South Africa," he told reporters in Midrand.
The NYDA has come under fire for exceeding its original budget of R69-million to host the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students in December last year.
At the time, the NYDA said the cost had risen to R100-million. Yesterday, Ngubeni said the final cost of the event came to R106-million.
"The R6-million increase on the originally reported figure is mainly due to the late receipt of invoices relating to travel and accommodation."
He said the A-G had highlighted some problematic areas, but these did not affect his clean audit.
Ngubeni said some of the matters had since been resolved and they were working tirelessly to improve them.
"The NYDA is committed to good governance and proper financial management, and has heeded the recommendations made by the A-G," Ngubeni said.
The agency said that it had created more than 18 000 jobs compared to the set target of 14 000, and had surpassed its projection of approving R11-million in loans for small business development by granting R41,7-million to young people.
On the agency's education and skills development programmes, the NYDA said it had enrolled 2 039 learners on a massive matric rewrite project - this against a target of 2000.
Ngubeni said that despite their achievements, "there are still too many young people that we are unable to reach, hence the need for additional resources".
The report also indicates that more than 66 000 youths were enrolled and participated in the government's National Youth Service (NYS) programmes, and of these more than 18 000 had been recruited to volunteer in the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
The NYS had entered into a total of 49 partnership agreements with national and provincial departments as well as municipalities, Ngubeni said.
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