The Department of Public Enterprises has announced a master plan for the Port of Durban which will seek potential private investments of R100 billion into the port over at least the next ten years.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says the master plan for the Port of Durban is currently undergoing consultation processes.
“The Port Master Plan…will serve as a basis for investment in the port both in respect of the port infrastructure – now governed by the Transnet National Ports Authority – but also in respect of the terminals and the freight infrastructure that services these ports as well,” Gordhan said.
The announcement forms part of the broader transformation of Transnet, which the Minister described as a “recovery, reconstruction and reform” plan.
According to Minister Gordhan, the first reform to establish Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) as an independent subsidiary is moving ahead.
“Significant progress has been made in establishing the infrastructure of the subsidiary and the kind of role it would play in relation to investments in each of the ports in order to facilitate the efficiency of the ports themselves.
“It is hoped that by October this year, a further Request for Information would be issued by TNPA to establish market appetite for the building of the point terminal at the Durban port and that will be a huge infrastructure investment,” Minister Gordhan said.
The second reform is to explore the potential for investment in the Port of Durban and the Port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape.
“These reforms are in line with the structural reforms that the President and government have indicated will be forthcoming from Transnet but from other entities as well. It is a further demonstration of government’s commitment to continuing with the structural reforms in improving the efficiency of its logistics infrastructure,” Gordhan said.
The Public Enterprises Minister said the requests for information from private business will allow government to create partnerships with both local and international business which will bring the expertise and cash investment required for the upgrading of infrastructure and equipment at the country’s ports.
In respect of the Port of Durban Master Plan, Gordhan said a clear and proper process has been established to sound out potential investors.
The first round of requests for information kicked off in July and are ongoing.
Further engagements with interested businesses will see a round of requests for quotations open between August and September.
Following that process, requests for proposals will be entertained between November and January 2022.
Bid evaluation processes will be held in February 2022.
Finally, the finalisation and approval of bids will be done between March and June 2022. – SAnews.gov.za.
