State funding for the Nuclear Energy Corporation of SA (Necsa) had been on a precipitous decline for a number of years and the sustainability of the company would depend on the success of its drive to commercialise its operations, the corporation’s executives told MPs on Tuesday. Necsa is the second-biggest supplier of nuclear medicine in the world and exports to about 60 countries. Chairman Kelvin Kemm said that Necsa’s aim was to be the number one producer in a few years’ time but that this required aggressive marketing and investment in expanded production to achieve economies of scale. The sale of medical isotypes on the international market, in particular, is seen as offering a lucrative opportunity to increase revenue. CEO Phumzile Tshelane told members of Parliament’s energy portfolio committee during a briefing on Necsa’s annual reports for 2014-15 and 2015-16 that whereas in the past Necsa had derived 50% of its income from the government and 50% from external sales, the sp...
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