President Jacob Zuma will on Friday, 17 December 2010, officially open a critical seminar on African infrastructure which has been convened within the ambit of the work of the African Union(AU) New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Heads of States Infrastructure Sub-Committee.
At the last AU summit in Kampala, Uganda, Heads of State and government resolved to appoint champions to advance the infrastructure projects.
President Jacob G Zuma has taken the responsibility for the Pan-African rail and road infrastructure. He requested Minister Trevor Manuel, Minister in the Presidency responsible for planning, to lead the NEPAD Ministerial Sub-Committee on Infrastructure.
In an effort to holistically engage the infrastructure issues - rail, road, ports and Information Communication Technology, Minister Manuel has invited African heads of economic agencies and African Union Commissioners responsible for the economy to a one day seminar in Pretoria.
The primary focus of the meeting will be to:
• review the huge infrastructure deficit in Africa
• verify infrastructure projects currently underway, their extent and funding requirements
• establish the mechanisms for better coordination among institutions with a view to avoiding duplication of infrastructure development
• highlight and rectify infrastructure data deficiencies
• consolidate a preliminary report on the status of the continental infrastructure.
The meeting will be followed by a Heads of States and Government Nepad Infrastructure Summit to be hosted by President Zuma early next month, ahead of the AU Summit at the end of January 2011.
Enquiries:
Dumisa Jele
Cell: 082 908 4798
Zanele Mngadi
Cell: 082 330 1148
Source: The Presidency
