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Thread: Our government is working

  1. #1
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Our government is working

    Oh what to do today?

    In all honesty, I wouldn't have had the time today to write this little piece if it wasn't for the fact that government is so hard at work.

    This morning I have tried to file my Workmans Compensation annual returns. The Department of Labour's website is so slow and overloaded, it proved to be mission impossible.

    Right, what else is on my to-do list.

    Oh yes, follow up on my late payment queries with a certain government department.
    I have no less than 4 telephone numbers, 3 direct lines for people who I have already engaged on the issue in KZN, and the main number for the national department. All engaged... even after doing three laps of trying.

    So let's look for some alternative telephone numbers then...

    In my wanderings I come across this gem, a recent message from Jacob Zuma to our hard working civil servants. It starts off with -

    Message from President Jacob Zuma to all Public Servants

    In today’s global and competitive world, a country’s success is determined by many things.

    Key amongst these is a patriotic, effective and efficient cadre of public servants that translates government policies and programmes into tangible benefits.

    On 14 February I delivered the State of the Nation Address in which I outlined our government priorities for 2013. This being the last year of the fourth administration, the State of the Nation Address took the form of a progress report to the nation. The Minister of Finance presented the Budget on the 27th of February. Both the SONA and the Budget emphasised our resolve to continue tackling poverty, unemployment and inequality. We have the resources. We have the time. We must now further improve the way we work and get better results.

    Already, a lot of work has been done to speed up the delivery of services and such work is continuing. But importantly, we have to work harder to improve people’s experience of government services.

    As we begin the new financial year, we urge public servants to work even harder to build a caring and efficient public service.
    Oh good stuff

    This is followed by paragraph after paragraph of successes. And then we get to this -

    However, there is still much room for improvement in departments, particularly in areas such as payment of suppliers within 30 days and the setting and monitoring of service delivery standards.
    I'd already feel a lot better and have a lot more money in my bank account if they could get it down to under 60 days

    So what else is on my to-do list...
    Well scratch all those expansion plan related items for now.
    Better decline my option on that corporate contract that everyone is so excited about landing - just don't have the cashflow.
    Have to wait until government has paid me before I can process my VAT payment.



    I guess that leaves appoint a lawyer to cancel that government contract that isn't paying, issue summons, and
    Start planning staff retrenchments then.

    With government being so busy, I'm sure they'll find a new job there.
    And quite clearly government want good, well trained, hard working staff.
    Hopefully they'll get paid on time
    Last edited by Dave A; 24-Apr-13 at 11:53 AM.

  2. Thank given for this post:

    Chrisjan B (24-Apr-13), Citizen X (20-May-13)

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    Moderator IanF's Avatar
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    Dave we used to have a black owned sign shop next to us. He got lots of government contracts then he had to close as he wasn't getting paid. I felt a little sorry for him as he built up a nice business only to walk away from it. Only a little sorry as he owed us a little bit of money.
    Not very comforting but I am sure you are wary of this.
    Only stress when you can change the outcome!

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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by IanF View Post
    Dave we used to have a black owned sign shop next to us. He got lots of government contracts then he had to close as he wasn't getting paid.
    Fortunately I've drawn a line in the sand well short of that fatal point.

    And I've just received reliable confirmation that we're queued for a healthy payment tomorrow evening, and exactly where the snag will be if it doesn't happen.

    It doesn't change my view on the damage that slow/non-paying government departments are inflicting on their private sector suppliers. I'm just fortunate that I've got the tools to... make sure I'm not going to be a casualty.

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    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    Working for government departments is something I stopped doing about 3 years ago for exactly the same reasons you mentioned. It's worked out very well for us, the one largish contract we walked away from where we actually made a decent profit we were approached six months after we backed out to become involved asa sub-contractor for a larger company who took the contract over. We negociated payment in advance and are now actually better off and also without the risks.
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    R30m Mvula tender scandal jeopardises anti-poverty programme.

    My payment problem (since resolved, thank goodness) was small potatoes compared to the consequences of this one
    Minus the tender irregularities and subcontract issues, damn similar scenario though.

    I've been thinking...

    This government is spending so much money on job creation. I'm pretty sure they'd actually have a greater effect on job creation if they just paid their bills on time. And it's just money they're obliged to pay out anyway. No extra spend involved.

  7. #6
    Diamond Member Mike C's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Ineptocracy.jpg 
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    No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. - Aesop "The Lion and the Mouse"

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    Gold Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Good one Mike, where'd you find that T-shirt?
    Today Defines Tomorrow
    Errare Humanum Est Remitto Divinus

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    Diamond Member Justloadit's Avatar
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    I must say that although I can speak and understand English, I have a limited amount of vocabulary, and probably use a couple of thousand words from the dictionary, and I had never even heard of the word "ineptocracy".

    What intrigues me is that this word even exits, which goes to show that what we are currently experiencing is not new to the civilized world, as this must have happened in the past, in order that this word was even created to summarize the description of what happened.
    Victor - Knowledge is a blessing or a curse, your current circumstances make you decide!
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    Diamond Member Mike C's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave S View Post
    Good one Mike, where'd you find that T-shirt?
    Not mine - but apparently available on ebay.

    @justloadit - word not found in the Oxford as yet, but comes up when googled. Because it is a "new" word, I think it is more a frightening summation of where the world seems to presently be at.
    No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. - Aesop "The Lion and the Mouse"

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    Dave A (20-May-13)

  12. #10
    Gold Member Dave S's Avatar
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    INEPTOCRACY: Most of us would have thought it to be an alternative spelling for "African National Congress"..., but it seems, it has actually originated in USA.
    Today Defines Tomorrow
    Errare Humanum Est Remitto Divinus

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