Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel has urged business to approach his department with key projects that are currently being delayed as a result of red tape, or a lack of infrastructure.

Speaking at a Gauteng investor conference, he said a Ministerial team had been established to overcome blockages to major private sector investments and programmes.

“We will focus on unblocking as many of these projects as possible,” Patel averred.

In addition, the newly established Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission would seek to drive public investment initiatives, “speed up decision-making and delivery and develop a ten-year project pipeline”.

“Government has committed to increasing investment in infrastructure and people, which are necessary to support private sector investment and to provide opportunities for our people,” he said, adding that fast-growing economies have typically had investment levels of at least 25% of gross domestic product over a sustained period.

In a separate response to a Parliamentary question on the mechanisms being put in place between the government and the private sector to ensure job creation, Patel reported that State-owned enterprises (SoEs) had been requested to take into account sustainable job creation potential of user companies when committing resources to infrastructure developments.

“For example, when a new rail line can unlock additional mining jobs in an area, the SoE will be encouraged to fast-track finalisation of its plans,” he said.