Speaker, hon Mr B M Komphela, I am pleased to report that the march towards the successful fulfilment of our 17 guarantees for delivery of the 2010 Fifa World Cup continues to gain momentum. Many projects emanating from these guarantees have been put to the test during the recent Fifa Confederations Cup. As we are all aware, this test tournament was delivered with great success.
Starting from the first guarantee, which is the issuing of entry and exit permits, to the last guarantee, which is the availability of comprehensive medical services, government and the Local Organising Committee, LOC, have been working together for the successful implementation of these guarantees.
Among the achievements that I may cite include the following: the Department of Home Affairs launching and implementing an event-specific visa in November 2008; the finalisation and implementation of the security plan; the delivery of elements of the information and telecommunications technology infrastructure, which was successfully tested during the Confederations Cup; the development and testing of transport operational plans; the steady growth in the number of accommodation establishments signed up and the testing of social cohesion initiatives, as widely acknowledged during the Confederations Cup. Although we have a long road ahead of us, I have no doubt that members present in this House today would agree that, even on the side of the national team, we are making progress. Their performance is not part of the 17 guarantees, of course, but it is part of the social compact we have with our own people.
We are quite aware, as has been made public before, that there are areas that require improvement. Through the 2010 Inter-Ministerial Committee, IMC, that I chair, we are helping the departments to overcome these challenges, especially in the areas of transport and accommodation. The IMC will soon audit the 2010 dividend for our country, in particular, small- and medium-sized enterprises.
It is true that, as part of our agreements with Fifa, procurement of goods and services for the 2010 World Cup has to comply with policies and procedures that apply in the public sector. This applies not only to government departments and host cities, but also to the Local Organising Committee, LOC. This means where public funds are involved, the Public Finance Management Act, and the Municipality Finance Management Act apply. In brief, procurement processes must be fair, competitive, open and above board.
To this end, government strives to ensure that procurement processes of host cities and the Local Organising Committee, which is where most of the buying happens, comply with our local legal requirements. We do not expect any department, host city or Local Organising Committee to depart from these commitments. Where the PFMA, the MFMA and the Employment Equity Act are not followed, transactions will be reviewed during normal, internal audit processes as well as during the audit processes by the Auditor- General. The relevant authority will need to take action commensurate with the severity of the transgression.
We continue to encourage institutions of government and the LOC to comply and deliver their respective guarantees within the parameters of all applicable legislation, policies and regulations. This House must continue to ask questions and demand accountability from all those involved in the preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, including the host cities and LOC. Thank you.