EC govt working to resolve payment delays affecting thousands of skills development beneficiaries

The Eastern Cape government said that it has made strides towards resolving payment delays affecting thousands of it’s skills development programme candidates.

Beneficiaries went weeks without stipends as a result of administrative setbacks.

In a statement on Wednesday, the provincial government acknowledged the impact the payment delays had on workers and committed to resolving the matter urgently.

It further explained that the programme is funded by the National Skills Fund through the office of the premier, attributing the delays to ongoing non-compliance and repeated failure to meet payment obligations on time.

Spokesperson Khuselwa Ranjtie apologised to affected candidates.

"The implementation of this programme, including the release of funds to the service provider, must comply with the requirements of the Public Finance Management. Act. The office of the premier remains firmly committed to youth empowerment through skills development and regrets the inconvenience and distress caused."