Pretoria - Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Rob Davies, says the Lotteries Amendment Bill, which President Jacob Zuma signed into law last December, will go a long way in addressing the challenges that have been facing the Distributing Agencies (DAs).
Speaking in Cape Town at the official launch of all the National Lotteries Board (NLB) Funded Projects, the minister said some of the challenges that the bill will address include accountability, conflict of interest, and lack of quorums in the distribution agencies, which affects the efficiency of the distribution agencies.
The minister said they will appoint fulltime distribution agencies, as part-time distribution agencies have been discovered not to work.
“People will be appointed based on skills and expertise in the different categories. This will further ensure that conflict of interest is eliminated, as members will now have to renounce their interests in organisations that will potentially apply for lottery funding,” Davies said.
He said the Lotteries Amendment Act would also promote the objectives of the developmental state and the integrity of the DAs.
“With this act, we want to continue to provide lottery funds on criteria that meet important national developmental objectives, which support charities that do good work amongst low income people. We want to continue to ensure that is the case and that the credibility and integrity of the Distributing Agencies are in place.”
As the catalyst for social upliftment, the NLB says it is necessary to profile and report on the successes of all NLB funded projects in the Western Cape to the broader South African community, particularly stakeholders such as potential beneficiaries, NGOs and social development organisations.
The NLB has distributed more than R18 billion to good causes over the 15 years of its existence. Since April 2013, more than R253 million has been allocated to projects in the Western Cape.
Davies also used the opportunity to hand over signed grant agreements and symbolic cheques to the value of R32 million to recently adjudicated beneficiaries. - SAnews.gov.za
