Three key deadlines for specific actions within the National Treasury’s new 14-point plan have been met, with the appointment of new South African Airways (SAA) CEO Vuyani Jarana this week marking the third completed task.

Jarana, currently Vodacom Business CEO, is set to start once his soon-to-be-former employer “releases him” from his current duties.

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba in mid-July unveiled a series of planned action steps to stimulate economic recovery after South Africa’s fall into recession in the first quarter.

The 14-point plan was aimed at cultivating a “sense of urgency and action-oriented intervention”, with clear deadlines for the responsible Ministers.

“Other than the appointment of an SAA CEO, Gigaba has also undertaken to meet the deadlines set on National Treasury in the 14-point Action Plan released in July,” the National Treasury said in a statement on Thursday, referring to two other key issues that had had a July 31 deadline.

This included the implementation of the Preferential Procurement Regulations, which had in fact already been effected on April 1, and starting the engagement of other government departments on the Private Sector Participation (PSP) framework.

Guidelines for the implementation of the procurement regulations have been issued and continuous technical support and guidance through national and provincial supply chain management forums is being provided, as well as extended implementation support to institutions that have specifically requested further orientation sessions.

Ministers, particularly those in the economic cluster, have also been engaging “at various platforms”, including Cabinet Lekgotlas, on the PSP framework, which will be the outcome of broader State-owned enterprise (SoE) reforms.

Bedding down of the PSP framework itself, under which there are five action steps, one of which sees Gigaba tasked with engaging other departments on the PSP, and three of which are the responsibility of shareholder ministries, has a March 2018 deadline.

Intended is the provision of broader guidance on sectors or asset classes for PSP and the determination of whether sector-specific PSP frameworks will be needed, by October; the approval of PSP projects as outlined in the governance framework proposed in the PSP framework; and the inclusion of PSP projects in the Shareholder Compacts and Corporate Plan for subsequent implementation.

All SoEs will be expected to present potential projects for PSP to the relevant line departments, the technical task team and the Inter-Ministerial Committee by November.

The National Treasury also needed to focus its efforts on finalising and implementing a five-year turnaround plan for SAA by December 2019 and negotiate with lenders to extend the airline’s debt, by October this year.

In addition, a deadline of August has been set for the finalisation of the recapitalisation of SAA and the South African Post Office.