Johannesburg - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised the Gauteng Provincial Government for forging a new economic path that is envisaged to better the lives of its residents through inclusive growth.
Speaking at the Gauteng Economic Indaba, on Wednesday, the Deputy President applauded the provincial government for recognising that inclusive growth can only be achieved through partnership and collaboration; through a shared vision and a common programme for growth.
“This initiative places inclusive economic growth at the centre of our efforts to build a better society. It is about building enduring partnerships between government, business, labour and communities for long term growth and employment creation,” said the Deputy President.
He said the Indaba seeks to advance this objective by unlocking the province's potential for inclusive growth.
“We applaud the Gauteng government for this initiative. This Indaba aims to give effect to the National Development Plan (NDP),” he said.
The NDP identifies the creation of employment as the most important instrument for tackling poverty and inequality.
“To achieve this, we need faster, more inclusive growth. We need an economy that serves the interests and meets the needs of the people. Investment in infrastructure is key to this,” said the Deputy President.
Youth empowerment
He said until young people of Gauteng are able to acquire skills and find employment, the economic potential of this city region will remain unfulfilled.
“Our challenge is not only to help young people to find jobs but also to support those who want to create them.
“We must harness young people's ingenuity, energy, courage, impatience and appetite for progressive change. We must recognise young people as dynamic agents of change who are capable of finding diverse, innovative and creative solutions to problems.
“We must encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. We must build an economy in which all may meaningfully participate. We must build an economy that brings relief, hope and sustenance. We must build an economy that restores the wealth of this province - and this country - to its people,” said the Deputy President.
The Gauteng Economic Indaba kicked off on a high note on Wednesday as various speakers emphasised the importance of partnerships in the quest to create a sustainable and inclusive economy.
Officially opening the Indaba, Gauteng Premier David Makhura also said forging transformative partnerships to radically transform Gauteng’s economy is key.
“We value partnerships and we believe that our successes over the past two years depended largely on us creating transformative and enduring partnerships with business, labour, business and civil society,” said the Premier.
On Thursday, the delegates will go into various commissions to map out the implementation process. - SAnews.gov.za
