President Jacob Zuma has told ministers, premiers and mayors, who are part of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) that they must jointly attend to delivery matters with speed and a problem-solving culture.

Zuma was speaking as chair at the first sitting of the PICC under the new administration. The commission was established to forge partnerships among government departments across all spheres of government, to ensure that infrastructure investment is rolled out without unnecessary delays.

“We established [the commission] to ensure that the delivery of infrastructure does not suffer as departments or spheres of government protect turf, or due to mindless rules and long delays,” he said

“The PICC is action oriented, flexible and focused. It must address matters with speed, partnership, and a problem-solving culture. It must attend to regulatory matters if necessary, so that we make decisions and ensure actual delivery.”

 

Projects

The projects under the PICC — headed by different departments — cover more than 150 specific infrastructure interventions in rail, road, ports, dams, irrigation systems, sanitation and electricity.

Zuma said that since its establishment the commission has focused its efforts on under-spending. However, he said the commission beginning to make solid progress with improved actual spending across all three spheres of government.

The president pointed to concerns over limited construction activity. The commission now monitors construction every quarter across hundreds of projects.

“Now we are making sure that dams are opened, that new schools are occupied by learners and that railway carriages are manufactured. But we recognise that much more needs to be done to generate more energy, develop better logistics and transport systems, ensure that water and sanitation reach communities and expand information and communication technologies including broadband, to strengthen the 21st century economy.”

 

(adapted from SAnews.gov.za)