Latest news with #Public-PrivatePartnerships
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Karachi to Sukkur: Sindh govt plans to launch sub-urban railway services: minister
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Energy, Planning and Development, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, has stated that a proposal is under consideration to launch sub-urban railway services from Karachi to Sukkur, based on the model of Lahore. The project, a joint effort between Pakistan Railways and the Government of Sindh, aims to enhance public transport services across the province and is expected to benefit millions of daily commuters. It will also help reduce the load on inter-city bus services and ease travel-related difficulties for the general public. In a significant move to improve the railway system and enhance public transport facilities, the Sindh government has decided to launch a train service on the short route between Rohri and Sukkur. The minister expressed these views during a meeting with a high-level delegation from Pakistan Railways at the Energy Department's office. The delegation was led by Chairman/Secretary Pakistan Railways Syed Mazhar-ul-Islam, and included Chief Operating Officer Railways Amir Ali Baloch and Divisional Superintendent Railways Karachi, Rehan Lakho. Also present were Secretary Energy Department Sindh Mushtaq Ahmed Soomro, MD Thar Coal Energy Board Tariq Ali Shah, Additional Secretary Coal Dr. Waqas Rajput, Chief Technical Officer Shariq Raza, and other officials. The secretary of Railways offered several collaboration opportunities with the Sindh government and shared that Pakistan Railways, in collaboration with the Punjab government, has already launched sub-urban railway services in Lahore, benefiting over 80 million people. He emphasized the need for the Sindh government's support for similar projects in the province. Minister Nasir Hussain Shah affirmed that, as per the vision and directives of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Government of Sindh is committed to initiating and completing as many public-benefit projects as possible. He assured full cooperation with any institution working for public welfare and relief. The Minister confirmed Sindh's willingness to partner with Pakistan Railways on projects that serve the people. He further noted that the Sindh government had already completed its share of work for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project, and the process of removing encroachments along the railway lines was underway when it was halted by railway authorities due to unspecified reasons. Nasir Shah highlighted that the Government of Sindh is progressing rapidly and successfully on multiple projects under Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). He emphasised that the proposed railway track from Rohri to Karachi would be an ideal project, and assured that the Sindh government would prioritize the ML-1 project, providing all necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and relevant support. He also pointed out that several projects of the Sindh government have been delayed due to inattention from the railway administration. To address these issues, he proposed the formation of a joint committee to resolve all pending matters. The meeting also discussed suggestions for improving railway stations across Sindh, addressing critical railway crossings, and potentially adopting railway stations for better maintenance. Proposals for cleanliness and the establishment of green belts along railway tracks were also reviewed. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hans India
03-08-2025
- Business
- Hans India
ULBs told to intensify revenue generation
Vijayawada: Urban local bodies (ULBs) must focus on bridging infrastructure gaps not covered under Central or external funding schemes and improve their financial self-reliance, said S Suresh Kumar, principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development. He stressed that ULBs should independently allocate funds to address local needs instead of relying solely on schemes like AMRUT, UIDF, or AIIB. Suresh Kumar made these remarks during a state-level video conference on Saturday, where he conducted a comprehensive review with all municipal commissioners. The meeting focused on enhancing financial discipline and revenue sustainability in ULBs. He underlined the importance of boosting statutory collections such as property tax and vacant land tax, and encouraged ULBs to adopt innovative funding models like Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to reduce reliance on government grants. As part of this effort, commissioner and director of municipal administration Dr P Sampath Kumar presented a detailed financial health report of each ULB for 2024–25, mapping their revenue potential, expenditure patterns, and fiscal goals. Dr Sampath Kumar urged ULBs to critically assess their budgetary performance, identify inefficiencies, and reorient their spending towards core services—especially sanitation. He said priorities should include solid waste management, scientific disposal, door-to-door garbage collection, and clean public spaces. Improving these areas, he noted, would enhance urban livability, public health, and environmental quality. He also advised municipal bodies to strengthen financial planning, control costs, and optimize resources to ensure long-term sustainability.
The Citizen
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Fixing SA's water woes means curtailing municipalities' free-spending ways
A look at two reforms that aim to thwart municipalities' spendthrift ways. The seemingly impossible task of preventing municipalities from spending water and electricity revenues on salaries and other services has been debated at national level for more than a decade. Now, it is finally receiving the attention it deserves. Two reforms in particular aim to curtail municipalities' spendthrift ways. National Treasury's amended Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) regulations came into effect in June, exempting infrastructure projects below R2 billion from some of the more cumbersome procurement processes. This will unlock opportunities at the municipal level, says Chito Siame, head of private equity at Mergence Investment Managers. 'In water, this could support more localised projects such as wastewater upgrades, pipe replacement, or alternative water sources in drought-prone areas,' says Siame. Read more BLSA welcomes approach to performance and accountability of municipalities 'Encouragingly, there is also movement on project preparation and financial structuring, supported by development finance institutions and the Infrastructure Fund. These reforms signal growing alignment between the public sector's development goals and the private sector's capacity to deliver at scale.' ALSO READ: Fixing SA's water crisis starts with accountability Ring-fencing and SPVs Another planned reform is to ring-fence electricity and water revenues at the municipal level to ensure funds are used specifically for maintaining and upgrading related infrastructure. In theory, municipalities are expected to spend 8% of their property, plant and equipment valuations on maintenance, but very few do. Some do close to zero. The result is visible across the country in untended water leaks, deteriorating roads and electricity outages. Municipalities owe Eskom close to R100 billion and a further R23.4 billion to SA's nine water boards. Revenues are being collected from residents and, in many cases, not paid over. Money is being used at a frightening rate to fund ever-larger salary bills and other services (including tenders). Rand Water CEO Sipho Mosai, speaking at a PSG Think Big presentation this week, said the ring-fencing of municipal water revenues will go a long way to recovering the nearly R8 billion it is owed for bulk water services. 'Water services are highly profitable for municipalities, but these funds are used for other services. In the future it will be ring-fenced, and that will go a long way to servicing this debt.' Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke sees municipalities as a particularly weak link in the governance chain, with mayors, municipal councils and executive teams failing in their oversight duties. 'When councils are unstable, performance suffers, budgets go unfunded, and infrastructure crumbles,' said Maluleke at a recent press briefing. Kasief Isaacs, CEO of Creation Capital, which will launch an infrastructure fund later this year, says private sector partnerships are one way to fix municipal water issues, but these require special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to manage the service end-to-end and to preserve the water revenue stream. To function effectively, these SPVs must have their own management and budget. 'One of the problems we have faced up to now is around this issue of ring-fencing. Another issue is interdepartmental dependencies. You dig up a road to repair a broken pipe or need to procure a subcontract and are forced to rely on other departments for these services. Those interdependencies are difficult to manage. The SPV should be allowed to manage this entire process,' says Isaacs. ALSO READ: Rand Water maintenance deepens Joburg water crisis eThekwini breaks the ice In April, the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal announced it would follow National Treasury's guidance and ring-fence revenues from water sales to ensure it had sufficient budget to repair and maintain its water infrastructure, reduce non-revenue water and illegal connections, and repair leaks. Not surprisingly, eThekwini reports a significant reduction in water leaks and is now in the procurement stage to bring in a private sector partner to help reduce non-revenue water. There has been stiff opposition from the unions to the government's tentative embrace of PPPs, which are seen by some as a betrayal of the national democratic revolution. They would rather see municipalities better managed than handed over to private operators for profit. These fears are not unfounded, as customers of Thames Water in London discovered. It was privatised in 1989 and over the years paid out £10.4 billion in dividends while accumulating close to £20 billion in debt, much of which was used to fund these payouts rather than fix ageing infrastructure. By 2023, it was said to be close to financial collapse, prompting the UK government to consider nationalising it. 'Rather than viewing PPPs as a threat to municipal control, we should frame them as enablers, tools to deliver better outcomes, strengthen financial sustainability, and ensure that communities receive the reliable services they deserve,' says Siame. 'Standardised PPP templates, municipal support programmes and ring-fenced revenue models could go a long way to building trust and capability in this space.' In the future municipal water services could be run by water boards, private operators, or the municipalities themselves, provided they meet the standards required. The two privately run water systems operating in SA – Siza Water in Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal and Silulumanzi in Mbombela, Mpumalanga – have achieved enviable efficiencies, with water losses of 15-20% against the national average of 47%, all while supplying the 250 000 and 500 000 customers in both areas considered indigent – meaning they get free basic water. The question is, does SA have a water shortage or a leaking pipe problem? Actually, it has both. National rainfall is about half the global average, but nearly half the water distributed is lost to leaks and other problems. Non-revenue water – water that earns no revenue – exceeds 47% nationally, which is way ahead of the global average of 37%. The cost of this is conservatively estimated to be north of R7 billion a year. It simply leaks away, untreated and unbilled. The reasons are many: burst pipes, degraded infrastructure, broken pumps, and increasingly, sabotage. The water boards are generally well run, so the problem is happening at the municipal level. Moneyweb previously reported on criminal gangs deliberately destroying municipal infrastructure so the water mafias can sell water from tankers at extortionate rates – often with the connivance of councillors. ALSO READ: At least R900 billion needed to fix SA's water woes Operation Vulindlela The water issue also has the attention of President Cyril Ramaphosa's Operation Vulindlela, aimed at reforming key bottlenecks to promote faster economic growth. It's in the process of establishing a National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency to take over the functions, staff, and assets of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, responsible for feeding water to Gauteng. This will be flanked by the appointment of a new Independent Economic Regulator for the water sector and the establishment of a Water Partnerships Office to assist in implementing performance-based contracts to reduce non-revenue water at six metros – eThekwini, Tshwane, Mangaung, Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay and Polokwane. Part of the funding for this will come from the newly created Infrastructure Fund, which ultimately aims to manage around R100 billion and disburse a range of financing options for infrastructure projects. Parliament is also reviewing the Water Services Amendment Bill, which aims to separate water service authorities (mainly municipalities responsible for water delivery) from water service providers (such as Rand Water, which supplies municipalities in bulk). Under the current Water Services Act, municipalities often act as both water service authorities and providers, meaning they regulate themselves. This leads to weak oversight, poor accountability, and mismanagement. The evidence shows they frequently fail to enforce performance standards such as water quality or address inefficiencies like non-revenue water losses. All of this will hopefully culminate in municipalities being stripped of many of the powers and privileges that helped create the national water crisis in the first place. This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
IOL News
30-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane demands investigation into corruption claims
Nomagugu Simelane, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, faces allegations of corruption and calls for an investigation from Premier Thami Ntuli and the provincial legislature. Image: Screengrab The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane, called for Premier Thami Ntuli to investigate the allegations of corruption levelled against her. In addition, Simelane called for Members of the Provincial Legislature, particularly those from the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), to write to Ntuli, the Auditor-General of South Africa, and the provincial Treasury to investigate her. Allegations were levelled against Simelane, stating that she used her position of power as the previous chairperson of the Agriculture and Rural Development Portfolio Committee to secure funding for a family company in Ithala and within the government. Simelane made the remarks at the 2025/26 financial year budget debate and vote at the provincial legislature on Tuesday. The total health budget is R56.2 billion. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ In her speech, Simelane spoke of upgrades to clinics, improvements to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and interventions made to enhance service delivery within the Health Department. Members of the MKP made scathing remarks at Simelane during the debate. Judith Gasa, MPL of the MKP, spoke of the allegations that she heard in the news that Simelane was seen at the airport with a bag full of money. Gasa was asked to withdraw her statement because it was fake news, and she was also informed that MPLs should not come to the legislature to make such accusations. Gasa was also concerned about contracts and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) which she labelled as politically protected plundering. 'The MEC wants us to believe that digitising the health system would improve efficiency, yet she cannot even digitise honesty in her office. Before we digitise health records, can we first digitise a list of MEC members' families who have benefited from the health tenders?' Gasa said. She added that MPLs were called to vote upon the health budget at a time when Simelane is facing allegations of 'using proximity to benefit her family of KwaZulu-Natal provincial government funds to the tune of millions'. 'How can the legislature entrust the MEC to safeguard this substantial budget allocation. We call for a full forensic audit of all PPP arrangements in the Department of Health and the immediate suspension of any official with political links to irregular procurements,' Gasa said. In response to Gasa, Simelane said she did not expect her (Gasa) to bring up fake news in the legislature. 'You expect an honourable member of her calibre to read to understand and follow. But I suppose this is what her party decided to send her to do. 'We also know that there are MKP members who are benefiting from the National School Nutrition Programme. The premier must also bring them to this House. So let us be scrutinised. All of us as members will be able to be investigated by the premier,' Simelane said. Dr Keeka, DA MPL, said he supported due process, not trial by media. 'In the event that hard evidence – which is credible, verifiable, and legally sound – emerges, we will not hesitate to act. Until then, we will not join the current claims and counter-claims and will only act on cold, hard facts,' he said. Simelane said she is writing a detailed report on the allegations levelled against her to Ntuli and the African National Congress. In previous reports, Ntuli said he has taken proactive measures by requesting comprehensive reports detailing all relevant facts, context, and any developments related to the allegations.
New Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
CM Chandrababu Naidu invites Singapore firms to Visakhapatnam Partnership Summit on Nov 14
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu showcased Andhra Pradesh as a premier investment destination to the industrialists and assured them of complete security to their investments. He promoted the upcoming Visakhapatnam Partnership Summit in November and explored collaboration in ports, startups, and infrastructure. Addressing the AP-Singapore Business Forum, Naidu presented the Swarna Andhra Vision 2047 blueprint and emphasised the shift from Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to a Public-Private-People (P4) model focused on inclusive growth. He invited Singaporean firms to the November 14–15 summit in Visakhapatnam, calling a perfect platform to formalise partnerships. 'My 2014 visit for Amaravati's master plan began our collaboration. Though ties have faced challenges, we are now rebuilding them. Singapore's governance and planning continue to inspire us,' he said. Highlighting AP's investor-friendly policies, he noted the State's growing infrastructure, sector-specific industrial policies, and three major industrial corridors: Visakhapatnam–Chennai, Bengaluru–Hyderabad, and Bengaluru–Chennai, which are focused on petrochemicals, food processing, and renewable energy. AP handles 30% of India's maritime cargo and is expanding its six operational ports with four more underway, he said. He also visited Singapore's upcoming Tuas Port and held discussions with Vincent, Regional CEO of the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), on AI integration, automation, and green port strategies. He said AP aims to develop a port every 50 km and adopt global standards in port-led industrialisation through potential joint ventures and tech transfer. The delegation also explored real-time cargo tracking and surrounding ecosystem development for ports. A proposal for an AP-Singapore Startup Festival to support young entrepreneurs was welcomed by Naidu, who affirmed his government's strong backing for innovation and enterprise. Ministers Nara Lokesh, P Narayana, TG Bharath, and senior officials were part of the AP delegation.
