Construction World March 2020

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“TIME TO REVITALISE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR IS NOW“ Concor’s new CEO, Lucas Tseki, is urging national and provincial governments to accelerate the awarding of infrastructure projects as a matter of urgency.

ZLQQLQJ WKLV \HDU $ORQJVLGH WKLV FRQͤGHQFH KRZHYHU KH LV adamant that the public sector needs to expedite the awarding of large contracts. Millions invested in bidding “There has not been much work in road building and rehabilitation, for instance, over the past two to three years – impacting severely on the sustainability of the construction sector,” he says. “It has even reduced the sector’s capacity to respond effectively to the tenders now being released.” He highlighted that millions of Rands had been invested by various contractors in their tender bids. This had delivered high- quality project proposals that would deliver optimal value to the client while meeting the required standards and deadlines. Many tenders, however, were not being timeously adjudicated and awarded, with some even cancelled – placing added strain on prospective participants. “National government is certainly seeing the urgency of stimulating the economy and leveraging the capacity among contractors,” Tseki says. “Hopefully this expressed sentiment will lead to quicker roll-out and award of tenders, which can help kick- start more activity in the sector.” PPPs are the future 7VHNL LV DZDUH RI WKH VHYHUH ͤQDQFLDO FRQVWUDLQWV IDFLQJ JRYHUQPHQW in its infrastructure development efforts, and points to the value of Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs). He suggests that South Africa QHHGV WR GHYHORS WKH FRQͤGHQFH WR PRYH PRUH DVVHUWLYHO\ LQWR 333V

S peaking to Construction World , Tseki, who took up the reins at Concor in December 2019, emphasises that the construction sector is ready to respond – but has taken a severe beating during the extended slump. The industry needs to rebuild its capacity, a process that must start as soon as possible. “Through the skilled stewardship of our management team and the loyalty and hard work of all employees, we are well positioned for 2020 and beyond,” he says. “We can boast a robust balance sheet, due to our conservative approach and strong risk management.” This has placed the business in a good position to execute ERWK WKH ZRUN RQ LWV RUGHU ERRN DQG WKH FRQWUDFWV LW LV FRQͤGHQW RI Lucas Tseki, CEO of Concor, says the company can boast a robust balance sheet, due to its conservative approach and strong risk management.

View of the pouring of a wind turbine base at Kangnas Wind Farm.

London is in second place.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD MARCH 2020