Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown says there are plenty of opportunities for the private sector to partner with state-owned companies.

The Minister on Tuesday addressed the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), where she outlined progress made on the Nine-Point Plan.

The plan was announced by President Jacob Zuma earlier this year. It seeks to ignite growth and create jobs by chiefly focusing on resolving the energy challenge.

The plan also encourages private sector investment, advancing beneficiation in the country’s mineral wealth and ensuring a more effective implementation of the Industrial Policy Action Plan.

“The Nine-Point Plan clearly states that government will be intensifying its efforts to drive industrialisation and roll out infrastructure development programmes in order to create decent and sustainable jobs, reduce poverty, stimulate export-orientated industries and improve the competitiveness of South Africa,” said Minister Brown.

Driving infrastructure Development

Government, through the Department of Public Enterprises, is driving infrastructure development in the energy sector with the new build programme; mining with new coal fields in Waterberg and an export line to Richards Bay; in manufacturing with the processing of forest products as well as production of military products through Denel; and in the transport sector through the Durban-Free State-Gauteng Corridor; South-Eastern Node and New Multi-Purpose Pipeline.

Minister Brown said there was lots of scope for the private sector to get involved.

“It is clear that the private sector has a significant role to play in the infrastructure rollout partnering with state-owned companies. To coordinate and promote the public-private partnership, government has developed a Private Sector Participation Framework (PSP) that guides the investment of the private sector,” she said.

The framework has 22 pillars that aim to explain the implementation plan of PSP. The PSP aims to bring about an enabling institutional environment and encourage responsible business conduct.

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