The Infrastructure Development Act signed by President Jacob Zuma on 30 May aims to speed up and improve the delivery and implementation of social and economic infrastructure and to maximise the developmental impact.

It also establishes the coordination structures of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) to ensure that all three spheres of government are part of the PICC and that all the main executive authorities across the public sector are mandated to meet on a regular basis to drive implementation of infrastructure.

The Act provides for Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) that bring together a number of catalytic projects that together make up the National Infrastructure Plan. These allow for better integration of connected projects and improved monitoring of implementation.

The Act will also set timeframes for the approval of regulatory decisions affecting the implementation of infrastructure projects.

Instead of sequential approval processes, it provides for processes to run concurrently wherever possible. This ensures that the state works to a common deadline and that this timeframe provides for public consultation processes.

Source  – SAnews.gov.za