Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille says the department is in the process of recruiting professionals to serve on the Technical Advisory Panel of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA).
Briefing the media to unpack her department’s plan to implement the Reconstruction and Economic Recovery Plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week, De Lille said the appointments are being done to capacitate ISA, which was established to oversee government’s infrastructure investment projects.
“In August, we also advertised for professionals to serve on the Technical Advisory Panel for the Infrastructure Investment Plan.
“This is to support the implementation of the plan and the panel will consist of technical experts from the following sectors - energy and alternative energy, financial structuring, infrastructure investment and planning, the oceans economy, urban management and green financing to name a few,” she said.
De Lille said the experts will be used on a needs basis and called upon to provide independent, strategic, tactical and technical assistance to ensure the expedited planning, monitoring and implementation of the Infrastructure Investment Plan.
She said this was part of building capacity for the investment company to prepare and package projects and to ensure oversight in the implementation of South Africa’s Infrastructure Investment Plan.
“Just under 1 200 applications were received and the shortlisting of candidates has been done.
“We are expecting to make the final appointments for individuals to serve on the Technical Advisory Panel by the end of this week.”
Government implementing a pipeline of 62 investment projects
De Lille said government’s infrastructure investment plan does not only speak to new infrastructure projects, but also to the maintenance and repairs of existing infrastructure as well as urban management or the clean-up of cities and towns.
She said the first phase of the Infrastructure Investment Plan includes projects from all three spheres of government, state-owned enterprises and the private sector.
“Fifty infrastructure projects were determined ready for investment and implementation.
“A further 12 special projects, of which five had an additional focus of mass employment, were identified in the plan. All 62 were then gazetted as Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) in July 2020.”
She said the gazetting, in terms of the Infrastructure Development Act, enables projects to be prioritised and fast tracked for implementation with all regulatory processes fast-tracked as processes now run concurrently.
“All 62 [projects] are at various stages of the project life cycle and will result in major job creation and stimulation of the economy over several financial years.
“Those infrastructure projects that are already in construction will see their future phases brought earlier for implementation, including some human settlements projects.” – SAnews.gov.za
