In an effort to increase infrastructure investment, Dean Macpherson, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, has announced the opening of a new project preparation bid window.
He claimed that this initiative aims to address the issue of inadequate project preparation support, which has hampered the implementation of construction projects nationwide.
The bid window is open to applications from municipalities, state-owned companies, national and provincial government departments, and private sector projects financed by public funds, according to Macpherson, who was speaking alongside Mameetse Masemola, the acting head of Infrastructure SA (ISA).
The goal, according to Macpherson, is to increase the number of infrastructure projects that are ready for implementation, thereby stimulating the economy and encouraging further investment from the private sector.
He pointed out that the project expands upon the government’s larger infrastructure plan, which was emphasised earlier this year at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa.
Contribution to economic growth
In order to reach up to 1.5% growth in the medium term, he said, it was crucial to make sure that South Africa’s infrastructure projects were not only carried out effectively but also made a substantial contribution to economic growth.
“The launch of our project preparation bid window will help to turbocharge infrastructure investment in South Africa, as it will ensure that more infrastructure projects are shovel-ready sooner while increasing the trust the private sector has to invest in state infrastructure projects,” said Macpherson.
According to him, the new bid window comes after the National Treasury gave ISA R179-million in project preparation funds for catalytic projects.
Macpherson emphasised that, among other sectors, energy, water and sanitation, transportation, human settlements, and social infrastructure were priority areas to be taken into account for project preparation financing.
“As announced shortly after my appointment, it is my vision to turn the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure into the economic delivery unit of South Africa, which will play a meaningful role in stimulating economic growth.”
