Engineering News
*Underspending may compromise EPWP job targe*t *Brindaveni Naidoo, Engineering News, Johannesburg, 2 November 2011 *The target of creating 868 000 work opportunities under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) may be compromised because of underspending, Public Works officials warned on Wednesday.
Given South Africa's unemployment rate of 25%, new Public Works Minister *Thulas Nxesi* said it would be "criminal" if underspending played out, especially to unemployed youth.
Nxesi, who recently took over from Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde as Public Works Minister, told Engineering News Online that on a quarter-by-quarter basis, it appeared that the EPWP was moving towards a "crisis" with regard to spending.
Deputy-director general for the EPWP, Stanley Henderson, also explained that if the expenditure patterns did not pick up, there was a risk that the EPWP would not achieve its target of creating 868 000 work opportunities in 2011/12.
Speaking at the second EPWP municipal summit, in Johannesburg, Nxesi called for radical expansion of the scope and content of the EPWP, and not just the creation of work opportunities, but work opportunities that formed part of a broader strategy to develop vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities.
To date, the programme has created 1.5-million work opportunities of the 4.5-million target by 2014.
Some 308 384 work opportunities were created in the first quarter from April to June, with municipalities accounting for about 70 579 work opportunities.
The country's infrastructure sector continued to achieve the highest percentage of work opportunities, however, the social and environment sectors have created the longest work opportunities.
Further, the Minister encouraged commitment from all municipalities to the EPWP, but stressed the principle of "labour-intensive" work opportunities and "not just tenders".
"Why is everything about tenders? I do not know of any country that has developed economic growth solely on the principle of tenders," he said.
Meanwhile, Nxesi, who was sworn in as Public Works Minister a week ago, acknowledged that it had been a "very bad" year for the department.
His approach would be to ensure transparency and to be honest about all challenges facing the department as it was the first step towards implementing solutions.
"It cannot be the case that every time there is a new Minister, that we start at ground zero -- that would be disruptive. Where there is good work being done, we have to support it.
"Where we identify gaps, these have to be addressed. We have to develop specific solutions to specific problems," Nxesi said.
*From: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/underspending-may-compromise-epwp-job-target-2011-11-02*
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