SASSA lays bare bold plans to improve its systems

CAPE TOWN - The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has detailed its bold plan to improve its systems to reduce social grant administration turnaround times.

The agency says it’s ready to roll out an automated system to weed out all ineligible beneficiaries through a new biometric system.

SASSA and the Department of Social Development (DSD) were briefing the portfolio committee in Parliament on their annual performance plans and budget for the current financial year.

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DSD and SASSA appeared before the committee for the first time after receiving its share of the budget, which includes R285 billion specifically for social grants.

SASSA's acting CEO, Themba Matlou, told members about the agency’s annual performance plan, which includes high-level priorities like reducing turnaround times.

"Priority number two, which talks about customer experience. I’ve already highlighted that if we are going to be detailed, we say we want to reduce the grant administration process from seven days to one day turnaround."

Matlou says the annual plan also includes addressing rampant fraud in the system.

"With regards to reducing the inclusion of ineligible persons, there are issues of reviews. We want to have automated social grant reviews."

SASSA says it’s also prepared to increase social grant beneficiaries from 19 million to 21 million in the current financial year.