Over 25 000 infrastructure projects being planned

ED RICHARDSON
INCREASED REVENUE inflows into the South African fiscus combined with a strong economy have made it possible for government to invest heavily in the country’s infrastructure, says finance minister Trevor Manuel. In his 2006 budget speech, Manuel announced that there would be a “marked increase in infrastructure and capital spending by the public sector over the next three years. “Infrastructure spending has lagged somewhat behind budget allocations in recent years, and so concerted efforts are now in progress to strengthen capacity to plan, implement and monitor these programmes more effectively,” he said.