Fiscus will not fund nuclear build programme, Tina Joemat-Pettersson says
Speaking in Parliament, the energy minister conceded that what had been missing in the programme to date was a lack of communication and community participation
Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson assured MPs on Tuesday that the fiscus would not fund the nuclear build programme, saying it would be transparent, above board and free of corruption The minister said the Department of Energy was to propose to the Cabinet that Eskom be the designated procurer for the new nuclear build programme and that the utility’s balance sheet be used to raise funds for the programme. She said SA’s sovereignty would not be compromised and that the integrity of the programme would be protected against risk. Addressing Parliament’s energy portfolio committee, Joemat-Pettersson stressed that Eskom had the necessary expertise — having operated the existing nuclear plant Koeberg successfully for more than 30 years — to play a central role in the new nuclear build programme. Eskom would be the owner and operator of the planned new nuclear plants. In terms of the proposals to be submitted to the Cabinet, the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation would be the p...
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