PwC’s 2016 edition of the Global Economic Crime Survey revealed that almost half the incidents of serious economic crimes are perpetrated by internal parties – a cause for serious concern and attention.

It is expected that 2016 will see a change in the way government spends public money – particularly wasteful expenditure as a result of fraud, corruption and mismanagement.

What is the economic impact of corruption? Experts explore the cost of corruption during the annual breakfast seminar hosted by Imsimbi Training.

Government officials are being trained on how to tackle problems relating to fraud, corruption and vehicle related crimes at Driver License Testing Centres (DLTCs) and other vehicle registration offices.

The best thing we can do about corruption is talk about it, tackle it, and take
people to task for committing it. We must do this in our companies, our
political parties, even our own families if need be.

South African organisations operating in high risk jurisdictions must take care
when interacting with third party suppliers, as companies are most vulnerable
to corruption in this area.

The National Public Service Commission says over 20 000 public servants have been charged with corruption, and R300 million has been recovered from the perpetrators. Departments were urged to improve their coordination when investigating cases.

The Department of Finance has claimed that corruption was morphing into a social problem. It further noted that corruption was becoming a social phenomenon and that there was a strong need to fight the culture of corruption.

A total of 21 big South African construction companies have admitted to the Competition Commission that they were involved in bid-rigging to a combined value of R26 billion, Parliament?s Portfolio Committee on Public Works

Leads 2 Business has added their voice to the outcry against tender irregularities which is crippling not only the construction industry but the country as a whole.

The Department of Public Works is pulling out all the stops to stamp out corruption and at the same time rebuild its image. A Special Investigations Unit will lead to many government officials being exposed.

The names of corrupt officials will be published in amongst others, pamphlets, newspapers and through radio advertisements. This displays the Department of Justice and Reconciliation's determination to stamp out corruption at all levels of government.

President Jacob Zuma stated that the South African government continued to take crime and corruption seriously. Although more could be done, operations focusing on illegal firearms, stolen and robbed vehicles, liquor and drugs which are regarded as main generators of crime have assisted in crime reduction.

The earnest desire to eliminate corruption in South Africa seems to be sorely lacking
amongst government officials, but who is to blame for the corrupt climate? More
importantly who is responsible for getting the country back on track?

The North West provincial government has vowed to ensure that corruption gets stamped out within the province. The department stated its determination in investigating any irregularities in the hearing against a suspended head of department.

One of the main failings of the e-toll system is the manner in which it was presented to the public. The repetitive manner in which the public was reminded of its impending implementation has possibly evoked negative emotions.

The absence of notable convictions under the Public Finance Management Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act has raised concerns that incidences of corruption, bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement.

The North West government has stated that it would not hesitate to implement all strategies to fight corruption in order to have clean governance in the province. Those corrupt individuals would be sought out as there are signs of growing intolerance towards corruption.

To address fraud and corruption the Gauteng Provincial Treasury has taken several steps including plans to verify employees of the provincial government to ensure that salaries are paid to authentic employees. It is estimated that organisations around the world lost an estimated 5% of their annual revenue to fraud.

A warning has been sent to Cabinet ministers who have refuse to crack down on corruption within the public service. The Parliament's Public Service and Administration Portfolio Committee is bent on weeding out public service corruption.

A call to cancel an agreement between the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport and On-Point Engineering. This remedial action was suggested after investigations into allegations of improper conduct including corrupt practices relating to the awarding of contracts to the company.

Government will enforce a major programme pertaining to effectively stop corruption in the transport system. Through this transport month the government has placed an emphasis on safety in all modes of transport system in the country.

Efforts have been mad in tackling corruption in the Public Works department. Members of the department and corrupt individuals are being investigated in relation to fraudulent lease agreements. Additional legal resources have been brought in to overcome the delayed legal processes.