30 Aug 2020

 In an effort to transform and upgrade local construction industry, the Construction Industry Regulatory Board/Authority Bill is being finalised.  

Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mr Mmusi Kgafela said, during the ministry’s sectoral presentation of Mid-term Review of NDP 11 in Parliament, that the bill would be responsible for the registration and regulation of contractors.

He said local construction industry remained a priority to improve performance of the sector and encourage competitiveness.

Furthermore, Mr Kgafela also said  the ministry had strengthened the regulation of professional disciplines in an effort to address challenges relating to poor project implementation. 

He noted that since the beginning of the plan period, the ministry had been able to establish three regulatory bodies namely, Engineer’s Registration Board, Architect’s Registration Council and the Quantity Surveyors’ Registration Council. 

However, he noted that their operationalisation had not been without challenges, particularly those relating to compliance with registration requirements by eligible professionals and prospective clients alike. 

He also said the ministry had, through regulatory bodies, been actively pursuing measures that would ensure compliance throughout the sector, including consultations with other relevant stakeholders to mitigate against non-compliance.  

Furthermore, he said in line with the Integrated Facilities Management strategy adopted by government, ministries had established implementation structures that sought to ensure that existing buildings were kept functional. 

He said through the approach, there would be delivery of effective and efficient maintenance of all government building assets.   

He said the first half of NDP 11 had also seen completion of several projects including, Mmathubudukwane Police Station and staff houses, revenue office and staff houses at Hukuntsi   and refurbishment to Mahalapye and Sefhare primary hospitals.

“We expect to hand over other key facilities namely the Police Forensic Laboratory, revenue office and staff houses at Shakawe and Charles Hill, Shakawe Primary Hospital, refurbishment of Sekgoma Memorial Hospital, Kang Anti-Poaching Camp, refurbishment of Letlhakane and Ghanzi Senior Secondary School as well as Semolale Police Station and staff houses before the end of the financial year,” he stated. 

Mr Kgafela also said development and maintenance of public building infrastructure remained a priority for the ministry and government.

In this regard, he said the success of project implementation depended mainly on ensuring that preparatory work, including feasibility studies, land acquisition, services relocation and environmental studies were done before allocation of resources for the actual implementation of projects.  

He said more effort would also be put on capacity building for project management, particularly project planning, contract management, project control, monitoring and evaluation, supervision and risk management.  

Going forward, he said the ministry would ensure that inputs required in construction were largely sourced locally to increase employment opportunities for Batswana.  

“This will be taken into consideration, especially where major refurbishments are required in our facilities,” he stated.   

With regards to housing development, he said the ministry was committed to providing public officers with accommodation.  

To this end, he stated that 465 units had been delivered under the Public Officers Housing Initiative and further, 300 out of 467 turnkey units had been completed and handed over, while the remaining 167 were at different stages of construction.  

Furthermore, he said implementation of low housing porgrammes had resulted in a significant number of Batswana benefiting and having habitable shelter, with 1 333 out of 1 972 targeted units funded under the SHHA turnkey programme.

He said the 639 units were still ongoing and were expected to be complete by the end of the 2020/21 financial year.  Ends