Hon Speaker, it would seem to me that the hon member prepared this question prior to my response, and has not been listening to what I have been saying!
Notwithstanding that, let me say that my department is doing something about this. We have supported Transnet's application. We are engaging with various stakeholders, particularly the policy departments, in regard to addressing the challenges that have been raised.
The state-owned companies face a particular challenge, namely that they must expand capacity in a context where they do not receive any equity injection from anywhere else. This means that they must generate the revenue themselves to expand infrastructure capacity. Somebody has to pay for this.
This is a conundrum that we are trying to address and to balance. So far we have established a task team with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Transnet National Ports Authority, for example, to develop a detailed investment promotion strategy for infant port industrial sectors such as oil and gas, and boat building. It is expected that this task team will release its initial strategy for stakeholder consultation towards the end of the second quarter.
We have been very active as the shareholder in assisting the state-owned companies to traverse this very complex road, where they need to expand capacity, but at the same time need to generate revenue for reinvestment in infrastructure through charging the users. It is not an easy thing to do, but we are doing our best, within the limits of our capabilities, to do something to reduce the administered prices.
Amounts spent on residences of former Presidents of the Republic
174. Ms A M Dreyer (DA) asked the Minister of Public Works:
With reference to his reply to question 166 for written reply on 22 March 2013, how much did his department spend in 2012 on the residences of former Presidents of the Republic of South Africa that have been declared National Key Points? NO1568E