Durban - The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has created over 190 000 job opportunities from April to June in 2010, despite the recent global economic crisis.
This achievement was hailed by Public Works Minister Geoff Doidge as he addressed the inaugural EPWP Summit held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre.
The EPWP is a government initiative to address poverty through creating jobs. Unskilled and unemployed people are given the opportunity to get an income from short-term employment through labour intensive projects.
They are mainly employed in the infrastructure, economy, environment, culture and social sectors.
The programme is making a significant impact in helping government reducing unemployment and poverty by 2014.
"This figure reflects an impressive 30 percent achievement against the set annual target of 642 000 net work opportunities in the 2010/11 financial year.
"There are still three more quarters to go to achieve 642 000 work opportunities," said Doidge.
The 283 municipalities from across the country participating in the summit will hold discussions and planning sessions for phase two of the programme.
Doidge urged municipal officials to use the state's resources to address social and infrastructure backlogs.
"There is a need for local government to maximise their efforts during phase two in the implementation of the programme," the minister said, adding that more funds will be committed to the programme.
Mayors pledged to create local work opportunities for unemployed members of communities in the areas where EPWP projects are implemented.
Delegates endorsed the target of creating 4.5 million work opportunities by 2014 and promised to ensure that the individual municipalities they lead will exceed their targets and contribute to the national goal of halving unemployment by 2014.
The infrastructure sector created the most work opportunities, with KwaZulu-Natal leading the way, followed by the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.
According to EPWP Deputy Director General, Stanley Henderson, more work still needs to be done in the Northern Cape, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga.
