Daily News Articles, 2008

QUESTION 942 - MR CM LOWE (DA) TO ASK MINISTER RE PRIVATISATION OF ANY SOE 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
IQP: 16-2008

Question 942

Mr C M Lowe (DA) to ask the Minister for Public Enterprises:

Whether privatising of any state owned enterprises is currently being considered; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1632E

Reply:

No. Privatisation of State Owned Enterprises (SOE) is not being considered. Government has committed itself to restructuring of SOE as a means to improve efficiencies. As a component of such restructuring, certain non-core business units and assets of the SOE are being disposed of in order for the SOE to re-focus to their core business activities. In other cases, some SOE are entering into partnerships with the private sector to gain access to technology, skills and global markets.

With regard to property, SOE have undertaken an assessment of property required for current and future core operations (e.g. provision of electricity, freight movement). Such property required for core business will not be sold. The SOE will be responsible for the disposals of properties identified as non core. In recognition of the role the property disposals can play in helping to transform the property sector the Department of Public Enterprises has developed a set of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Guidelines to guide the SOE sales process. The Guidelines are aligned to the Department of Trade and Industry’s gazetted Codes of Good Practice for B-BBEE. In addition, DPE has developed a Toolkit for B-BBEE Self Assessment to assist enterprises in measuring compliance with the Codes of Good Practice.