Public Enterprises: Barbara Hogan

Alwyn Rautenbach, Airlink Cargo managing director. Q: What would be the first and most pressing priority for the minister? To privatise SAA so that it can pay taxes and dividends instead of being a drain on the treasury. Support Eskom to ensure the future of affordable electrical supply to South African industry. Appoint the best possible top management at other state enterprises like the SA Post Office etc. to improve efficiency, profitability and stop corruption. To move back to the principle of using these companies as a training ground for engineers, technicians and other types of scarce skills that could boost manufacturing and therefore exports in the future. Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the minister? Inefficiency, corruption and lack of skills. Q: I f you had the Minister’s ear for a minute, what would you say? Please privatise SAA to enable normal competition in the airline industry. Pete Williams, Safcor Panalpina managing director. Q: What would the first and most pressing priority be for the minister? Due to the slow down, there is some short term respite in terms of infrastructure. Use this time to make sure that as the economy turns the appropriate infrastructure is in place. Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the minister? To ensure that the mix between short, medium and long-term initiatives is correct to prevent the various enterprises from being constraints on the economy whilst balancing the needs of the various stakeholders Q: If you had the Minister’s ear for a minute, what would you say? Both of the above and “Good luck, we need you to succeed!” Q: The one regulation from the ministry that impedes your ability to do business? To me it is the infrastructural issues rather than regulations that are the biggest constraint. If I had to choose – a quick, economical and reliable rail service would probably be the choice.