Johannesburg - Logistics group Transnet will borrow R100bn over the next
seven years to pay for a R300bn infrastructure programme, its chief
executive said on Monday.
The spending plan was heavily promoted in President Jacob Zuma’s state
of the nation policy address this month, with government officials
saying it will help create jobs and increase the country’s
competitiveness.
State-owned Transnet, which moves commodities such as coal, iron ore and
fuel, is looking to nearly triple its capital expenditure from its
original plan of around R110bn to build and expand infrastructure in
Africa’s biggest economy.
Bottlenecks at ports and rail lines run by Transet have slowed exports and economic growth.
“We will only need to borrow around R100bn by issuing bonds, domestic and international, bilateral loans,” Brian Molefe said.
He did not say when the bonds would be issued, with debt problems in Europe making projections difficult.
He did not foresee any problems in attracting interest for the bonds and
was confident the company would find the money to pay for the rest of
the expenditure from its own balance sheet.
Details of the new capital programme will be announced in the coming
weeks, but Molefe indicated that 55% of that would be spent on new
projects. The remainder would go for maintenance of existing
infrastructure.