The South African State Information Technology Agency (Sita) has tabled its 2007\/2008 annual report in Parliament and has been given a clean bill of health by the Auditor General.<\/p>\n
But running an IT agency this size that serves the SA government, the largest single IT spender, costs money. <\/p>\n
Revenue for the 2007\/2008 financial year was R3,608 billion, up 7,47% from the previous financial year. The organisation’s surplus for the year increased by 109,6% from R204,1 million last year to R428 million. <\/p>\n
One of the achievements of Sita for 2007\/2008 is listed as the annual GovTech conference. During the scope of this annual report that conference cost R18,9 million up from R12,2 the previous period.<\/p>\n
The annual report also lists R11,75 million in "irregular" expenditure during this period. However, just one of those incidents – an unauthorised operating lease by a senior official – accounts for R10,4 million of that expenditure. Two senior officials are facing disciplinary hearings over that error, Sita says. <\/p>\n
Also interesting is to look at the money paid to board members. At the top of that list for the year to March 2008 was chairperson Thenjiwe Chikane who received R566 430 for the year. Interestingly, she was paid just R98 106 last year.<\/p>\n
Staff costs at Sita for the year up to March 2008 totaled R1.24 billion, including R703 million for salaries and just short of R424 million for contracting costs. The balance was made up of pension and medical aid costs.<\/p>\n