COLLABORATION KEY TO PROPERTY, CONSTRUCTION SUCCESS – DE LILLE

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille on Thursday
called for collaboration between the public and private entities in the
property and construction sectors in order to tackle the challenges facing
these sectors and to pursue opportunities to boost growth in these sectors, as
well as the broader economy.

De Lille was speaking at the Property Sector
Charter Council (PSCC) seminar in Johannesburg.

Emphasising the importance of getting the economy
working above all else, De Lille said government would invest more in
infrastructure and in creating conditions conducive for the sector to create
more jobs.

However, she noted that the department could not do
this alone and called for input and support from the private sector.

De Lille also noted the importance of ensuring that
public assets were properly managed. She acknowledged that the department had
serious challenges to contend with, such as supply chain management and procurement
problems.

She assured stakeholders that, going forward, all
tender processes to be issued by the Department of Public Works and
Infrastructure (DPWI) would be open for public scrutiny, from the evaluation of
tender documents to the execution of those tenders.

She also called for ethical leadership from both
the public and private sectors to “confront the scourge of corruption in South
Africa”.

Another issue highlighted by the Minister was a
long turnaround time when companies wanted to renew leases on public-owned
buildings, owing to bribes being sought. De Lille assured that this would come
to an end.

De Lille also mentioned issues around the asset
register and indicated that the department had already appointed a private
company to help verify the register and provide data to enable the department
to make informed decisions.

In terms of land invasions currently facing the
construction sector, De Lille called for a collaborative approach from the
private sector and the government in tackling the issue.

De Lille noted that despite the problems the department is facing, there were many opportunities for the construction and property sectors to capitalise on, through working in partnership with the department. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/collaboration-key-to-property-construction-success-de-lille-2019-07-11