WBHO’s chairman Mike Wylie is an honourable man. An engineer and life-long servant of what is now SA’s biggest construction group, he is chafing at the way government is treating his industry. Wylie isn’t the kind to rant. But he comes close in WBHO’s just released 2015 annual report. Wylie writes: “It is puzzling that the government should continue to mistrust the construction industry, promoting the inaccurate and biased flow of information from the Competition Commission (CC).”
He provides six clear examples of such disinformation. They’re led by the fact construction companies acted in good faith after receiving the CC’s invitation to investigate their own contracts going back many years. This uncovered less than 1% had been subject to cover pricing. But, says Wylie, even after paying some hefty fines the “intent of the invitation has been forgotten.”
Wylie’s most powerful argument is the obvious one. If construction companies were profit gouging as intimated by the CC, why on a like-for-like basis are SA buildings delivered at less than half the price of those elsewhere in the world? For instance, the combined cost of Greenpoint, Durban and Soccer City stadiums came to what the British paid for only one of theirs – similar sized-Wembley.
When invited to do so, construction companies voluntarily opened their books and uncovered a tiny number of delinquent contracts. Now they simply want to move on, to literally help build the country. Yet for political reasons, the industry is still being treated as untrustworthy. Little wonder Wylie is frustrated.
From Biznews community member Ken Ernstzen
And let’s not lose sight that it was a total waste of money in any event as they are now a ‘herd’ of white elephants. Money which could well have been used to maintain infrastructure and build much needed housing. Another example of this bunch buying votes with the masses at Taxpayers expense! Oh….and, of course, enriching a few chosen individuals along the way.
