Durban – Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula will on Monday visit the Durban Port in KwaZulu-Natal to unveil a number of “critical investments” aimed at developing the current infrastructure and in doing so, attracting more investment.
Mbalula is set to conduct a visit to one of the shipping yards in the Durban Port and engage with the relevant stakeholders in the industry.
The minister’s office said the upcoming investments are likely to make significant contributions towards the growth of the oceans economy and the implementation of the maritime transport policy.
Some of the investments that were given the green light by Mbalula so far include liquid bulk operating licenses, access rights for the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) and the Construction of onshore LNG (Liquified natural gas) Regasification Facility.
“The investments that will be unveiled by the minister are a catalyst towards attracting investments in the construction of new world class infrastructure and advancing the competitiveness of our port as strategic drivers of economic growth,” the minister’s office said on Saturday.
In August last year, Transnet plotted along with its R100 billion expansion plans for the Port of Durban, after issuing Request for Information (RFI) solicitations for potential private sector investment partners.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said it was the second part of structural reforms to attract investment following the separation of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) from the group. Gordhan said it was testament to the government's commitment in improving the efficiency of its logistics infrastructure.
“It is hoped that by October this year, a further RFI will be issued by TNPA to establish market appetite for the building of the point terminal at the Durban Port,” Gordhan said in August.
“The second key reform area is exploring the potential for investment in the port terminals in Durban and Ngqura, and today two RFI will be issued by Transnet,” he said.
Transnet bosses say the investment was meant to deal with congestion issues at the port which was slowing down turnaround time and affecting business outputs. The Durban Port has since dropped in ratings because of some of these issues.
Political Bureau