Gauteng Premier raises concerns about the impact of floods indicates the state of school readiness and announces the provincial official corporate banker.
Introduction
As the year starts, several matters have emerged that need the attention of the Gauteng Provincial Government. These include the recent devastating floods which have ravaged several parts of our Province, the readiness of our schools for the 2011 school year and the announcement of the province's corporate banker for the next five years.
Disaster Management (Floods)
As the Gauteng Provincial Government, we have, over the past few weeks, been particularly disturbed by the impact of recent floods and the devastation they have caused in our affected communities. This natural disaster has kept the Department of Local Government and Housing (DLG&H), which has been tasked with the responsibility for the co-ordination of relief efforts - including the Disaster Management Fund - particularly busy since December 2010.
The DLGH will, jointly with the Emergency Management Services of affected Municipalities, organise disaster relief for the affected areas.
Education
As the Gauteng Executive Council, we would like to add our voice and congratulate the Class of 2010 for their outstanding performance in the National Senior Certificate Examinations. They have defied all odds and achieved a pass rate of 78.6%, only 1.4% away from our 2014 target of 80%. This has, for the first time ever, made Gauteng, the number one performing Province in the country. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this success.
We are well-aware that it is through interventions such as the School Holiday Programme, the Secondary School Improvement Programme and the study camps that these achievements were made. We have made a commitment as a Province that these interventions will now become standard for all future matriculation examination preparations.
MEC Creecy reassures me that her department is ready for the 2011 academic year as schools re-open tomorrow, 12 January. MEC Creecy and I will accompany the Deputy President to Lawley Secondary school, while all other MECs will visit various schools in the Province. (My office will provide the list of schools)
Provincial Official Corporate Banker
Lastly we would like to tell the nation that the search for the official corporate banker for the province is over. The Gauteng Provincial Government invited all the 12 retail and commercial banks that are listed on the Banking Council's register to submit proposals for the GPG Banking Tender, as the current contract, which started in April 2006, comes to an end on 31 March 2011.
This openness to the banking industry was aimed at ensuring that the process was inclusive, and afforded all registered South African retail and commercial banks an equal opportunity to bid and participate in the process. However, only four banks, namely ABSA, FNB, Nedbank, and Standard Bank responded to our invitation by submitting completed proposals.
The four bids which were received were evaluated in terms of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPF). The selection and adjudication criteria used included Administrative, Technical, Preferential Points and Financial Risk Analysis.
The process of selecting the new banker for the Gauteng Provincial Government was transparent and meticulous.
We are therefore pleased to announce the Gauteng Provincial Official Corporate Banker as First National Bank (FNB). We trust that this partnership and the new relationship will enhance the attainment of all Government outcomes, especially those prioritized by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
The new bank will assume the position of provincial official corporate banker from 1st April 2011 until 31st March 2016.
We expect that our newly appointed partner, FNB will assist us in better positioning our province to attain our goals to work better.
Statement issued by the Gauteng Provincial Government, January 11 2011
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
