DID ANNUAL REPORT 2022 23

Annual Report 2022-2023

3. FOREWORD BY THE MEC The past financial year has been a period of significant achievements for the Department, against the backdrop of the historical infrastructure backlog that has held back the economy of our province from realising its full potential in especially the townships, as well as the rapidly increasing demand for economic opportunities in Gauteng. The work to address these challenges continued at a faster pace, although both the new and existing infrastructure could hardly cope with the ever-growing pressure. However, our resolve to overcome these challenges remained stronger than ever before, based on the clear vision outlined in the Growing Gauteng Together 2030 vision. We remain committed to deliberately investing in and developing the productive capacity of all our communities as well as addressing the historical imbalance of deliberate under-investment in infrastructure and skills within these areas. We are focused on undermining the apartheid spatial landscape through integrated planning and the facilitation of equitable access to public infrastructure and socio-economic opportunities for all communities. We want to empower historically disadvantaged individuals and communities, with a bias towards women, youth, people with disabilities and military veterans, as we strive to reduce poverty, unemployment, and inequality in our province. The Department has been able to achieve notable milestones in the infrastructure build programme and the creation of job opportunities during the period under review. We were able to utilise the limited land space in our land scarce province to build, refurbish and expand public facilities as well as delivering social services to communities. Much was done in order to achieve the strategic outcomes set out at the beginning of the financial year. The significant achievements of the Department during the period under review as summarised in this Annual Report reflect how far reaching our programmes have been. We are committed to: efficient and effective delivery of public infrastructure; improving the condition

of GPG properties, including office accommodation and health facilities through efficient and effective facilities and maintenance management; optimising the GPGs property portfolio to support socio-economic and spatial transformation; economic empowerment and job creation through targeted, preferential procurement and contractor development; Expanded Public Works Programme and skills development through effective provincial coordination and also building a capable, ethical and developmental organisation. The beginning of the third quarter of the reporting period coincided with the configuration of the Gauteng Provincial departments to fast track the implementation of elevated priorities, as pronounced by the honourable Premier of Gauteng. To this effect, infrastructure development was identified as being central to the acceleration of economic recovery and reconstruction. The Department has therefore developed a solid plan to accelerate the completion of all incomplete infrastructure projects by end of term.

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DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT