Through you, hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Minister, it is clear from your response that the Department of Transport shares a common view with the ANC study group on transport on the following issues. Firstly, there is the uneven level of standards of roads for urban and rural communities, which deprives rural communities of realising their social and economic development potential.
Secondly, the formula used in allocating financial resources for the upgrading of gravel roads in rural areas is currently not based on the objective of unlocking the social and economic development potential of rural communities, as it is based on the number of cars that use each road.
Could the hon Deputy Minister explain the relationship between the formula used to allocate financial resources for the upgrading of rural gravel roads and the development-orientated objective of unlocking the social and economic potential of rural communities? If we understand transport to be a critically important aspect in attracting investment to underdeveloped areas, how do we hope to attract investment to rural areas when the allocation of resources for rural road development is not determined by the investment potential of each area and the poor condition of roads in such areas? Thank you. [Time expired.]