Transforming and modernising South African public financial management to accelerate service delivery

Abstract

The South African Government has introduced some reforms with the aim and purpose of putting right the historical imbalances and ensuring fair distribution of resources. Some of the reforms that have been brought about relate to the effective management of public funds, in particular budget reforms. The transformation and modernisation of public financial management in South Africa were based on key elements such as transparency, accountability and the integration of policies that led to a comprehensive budgeting system aimed at accelerating service delivery. Compilation of budgets changed from the typical annual budgeting to a multi-year budgeting system. The paper analyses the transformation and modernisation of public financial management environment, the current financial legislative framework within which public officials operate and examines the different budgeting systems applied and the impact these have on service delivery in South Africa.