Mnr die Voorsitter, heel aan die begin wil ek graag my dank uitspreek teenoor die amptenare van die Departement van Openbare Werke vir die bekwame wyse waarop hulle hierdie wetsontwerp aan die lede van die komitee en die gemeenskap bekendgestel het.
[Dr P J C NEL: Mr Chairperson, right at the outset I would like to express my gratitude to the officials of the Department of Public Works for the skilful way in which they introduced this Bill to the members of the committee and the community.]
This is an important piece of legislation because effective, well- maintained infrastructure forms the very basic foundation for providing an acceptable quality of life for all and sustainable growth in a successful country.
As the hon the Minister has already mentioned, the construction industry plays a pivotal role in this respect. Since the mid-1980s, South Africa has experienced a constant decline in the construction industry. The turnover in most instances has more than halved and the industry lost more than 50% of its employees.
In this regard I would like to quote from a submission made to the committee by the SA Association of Consulting Engineers:
There is no doubt that the construction industry is presently in crisis, and has been in a serious decline for a number of years, and if this country is to become a successful nation in the global sense, there is no doubt that a healthy and vital industry is a key factor in achieving this goal.
The construction industry is one of the most effective employment-creating sectors in the economy. The four constituent members of the Construction Industries Confederation alone represent more than 12 000 companies and employ 330 000 people. This figure could, according to these people, be doubled with the implementation of appropriate policies.
Currently South Africa has no recognised vehicle to drive the implementation of a common strategy and to systematically promote the best practice of public and private sector role-players in an integrated manner.
Hopefully the establishment of the Construction Industry Development Board and the implementation of the board will facilitate the recovery of this sector. The recovery of this sector can play an important role in making South Africa an attractive investment destination for local and international investment.
The members of the board need to be selected very carefully because the expertise of the actual people on the board, particularly that of the CEO and the chairperson, is of crucial importance and will determine its efficiency and effectiveness.
The New NP supports the initiatives as spelled out in the Bill, since the construction industry and the professions are under severe economic pressure. Their problems need to be addressed without delay. We can only hope and pray that the objectives and principles as set out in the Bill will be achieved sooner rather than later. [Applause.]