Question NW3008 to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
30 September 2022 - NW3008
Spies, Ms ERJ to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
Whether she and/or her Department submitted a policy review document and/or any other government policy document to structures outside of the Government, either to private and/or external structures or structures of any political affiliation during the past five years; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) will she furnish Ms E R J Spies with copies of all such documents and (b) what are the reasons that the Government documents were provided to each structure?
Reply:
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) informed me that no policy review document or any other government policy document has been submitted by the Department to structures outside of Government unless such was part of a policy development process in line with the approved Policy framework where a stakeholder matrix was developed with key stakeholders identified in advance in terms of their participation and contribution in the development of policy.
The Department follows government-based policy development processes. When a policy is developed and ready for consultation with stakeholders, the process follows approval from the Accounting Officer and/or the Executive Authority before engaging stakeholders. The Policy, Research and Regulation Branch is charged with the responsibility of assisting the Minister in the development of policy (e.g. legislation or regulations) in terms of the construction and property industries also align to policy development processes prescribed in the National Policy Development Framework (NPDF).
In the last five years, policies developed or reviewed were engaged in the prescribed format through gazetting for public comment. For instance, in terms of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), regulations such as the amendment to the Best Practice Project Assessment Scheme were gazetted in September 2020 and in 2018, the CIDB adjusted range of tender values that were also gazetted. In such instances, members of society have access to these documents as they are public documents. With regards to the Expropriation Bill [B23-2020], on the other hand, the Department consulted with various government departments as part of developing SEIAS; and we have also engaged with the Ambassadors (Minister’s engagement) of different countries.
Therefore, apart from a standard and approved policy development process where relevant stakeholders are identified and consulted in different stages of the process, no policy document has been shared with structures outside of Government.