Pretoria - Government wants to review legislation that often leads to delays in the implementation of important infrastructure programmes.
This was revealed during the first Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission meeting, chaired by President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by ministers, premiers and mayors, who all agreed that there was a need for more coordination within the spheres of government to address the country's infrastructure challenges.
The commission will meet four times a year with members of the management committee, including the Ministers of Rural Development, Economic Development, Public Works and Finance, among others.
"There is both a need for more coordination and integrated planning of infrastructure investments... There is a need to improve the prioritisation process and ensure that resources are allocated accordingly," read a statement issued after the meeting.
It said given the shortage of resources related to the extent of the need for infrastructure development, more work needed to be done to facilitate more private sector investment in the country's development.
"A review of the regulatory frameworks is required, with the aim of identifying where these frameworks are resulting in unintended delays in projects," it said.
The commission also identified weaknesses in infrastructure planning and procurement processes, lack of required skills and corruption as among the challenges that needed to be addressed.
Commissioners will work hard to ensure the implementation of priority projects, as well as address problems in the planning and procurement process. - BuaNews
