Small business conference to accelerate economic growth

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Pretoria - The Department of Small Business Development will host a conference which is expected to develop policies that will accelerate economic growth and development.

“We will pursue an aggressive entrepreneurship drive and create an enabling environment that will make it easy for South Africans, particularly the youth, women and people with disabilities to start and sustain their businesses,” Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said.

She said her department would intensify its efforts at broadening participation in the country’s economy.

“We now have an opportunity to move with speed on the critical question of de-racialising the economy and opening up opportunities to those who have been historically excluded,” Minister Zulu said.

The inaugural National Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) policy colloquium would be launched in partnership with the Small Business Development Institute (SBDI) at the Industrial Development Corporation from 21 to 23 October.

SBDI Chief Executive Officer Xolani Qubeka said the state of SMME development was in disarray with different sectors and tiers of government acting without any coherence.

“The colloquium provides an opportunity to explore and interrogate these issues collectively and comprehensively,” Qubeka said.

He said the conference was a first step in a journey that seeks to positively influence the formulation of policies affecting SMMEs.

“Our aim is to work with policy makers, to influence change where we can, to ensure that sustainable job creation and accelerated economic growth can be attained for long term prosperity,” Qubeka said.

The Department of Small Business Development said an array of inspired thought leaders from broad and specific areas of economic development were scheduled to participate in the event. – SAnews.gov.za