Rebuilding trust is key to turning around struggling construction industry, says Minister

A growing trust deficit between the government and the private sector threatens to derail efforts to turn around the struggling construction sector, but government is intensifying its efforts to build meaningful relationships with the industry. This is according to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille, speaking at the 118th Annual General Meeting of the Master Builders and Allied Trades’ Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC).

The leadership of the MBAWC echoed the Minister’s sentiment on the need for strong public-private partnerships and they remain positive about the industry’s prospects.

Minister De Lille acknowledged the downturn in the construction industry but urged the sector to welcome government’s much-touted R100 billion infrastructure development fund announced during SONA, which she said will be ramped up alongside a drive to stamp out corruption and sharpen the technical capacity of government.

Referring to insights gained from the World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Cape Town recently, Minister De Lille stressed that the gap in trust between the private sector and government needed to be addressed, saying partnerships are crucial because government cannot do it alone.