Johannesburg – Government is serious about delivering on the commitments it made in the National Development Plan (NDP) regarding eliminating poverty and reducing inequality in South Africa by 2030.
“We have this plan to ensure that we turn the unemployment situation around through providing employment incentives to employers, improving the ability for workers to search for work, growing the economy and ensuring better education and skills development especially for our young people,” Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, said on Thursday.
Speaking in Johannesburg at the pre-World Economic Forum on Africa Government-Business Breakfast meeting, the Minister said the NDP highlights the need to reduce the cost of living for households and the cost of doing business.
“In term of the cost of living, the plan proposes measures to improve public transport, address spatial settlement patterns, increasing housing options and outlines social protection measures ….work is underway in each of these areas,” he said.
Government had made significant progress and investments towards the implementation of its infrastructure plan.
“Creating infrastructure is central to both employment creation and expansion of the capacity of the economy to grow,” Minister Radebe said.
A total of R847.3 billion has been allocated over the medium term for infrastructure investment by the public sector.
Minister Radebe said government’s doors were open to working with business in implementing the NDP.
“We need to create a platform to address issues which are making it difficult for business to play its role in the implementation our plan,” he said.
Mineral Resources Minister Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi said government wanted an economy that was democratised.
“If you deal with an economy that is not democratised it cannot be sustained, it will be attacked, it will be destroyed by those who have got political freedom but who have no meaningful participation in the economic life of the country,” Minister Ramatlhodi said.
He said the department was reviewing the Mining Charter which was aimed at getting black people to participate directly in the economy of the republic.
The Mining Charter is a legal instrument that enables transformation in the mining industry. It is aligned to other legislation that seeks to foster transformation in mining.
That participation included ownership, community participation and entrepreneurship.
Minister Ramatlhodi said government was taking steps to normalise the energy situation in the country.
South Africa will host the 25th World Economic Forum on Africa from 3 June - 5 June under the theme “Then and Now: Reimagining Africa’s Future”. – SAnews.gov.za
