Pretoria - Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), Jeff Radebe, has welcomed a Cabinet decision to appoint Tshediso Matona as the new secretary of Planning in the department.
President Jacob Zuma on Thursday announced the 25 new members for the National Planning Commission (NPC) and outlined changes to the mandate of the commission, in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) and the renewed focus on implementation.
“Matona is a seasoned civil servant who brings extensive experience and expertise and will be an invaluable asset to the National Planning Commission,” Minister Radebe said on Friday, while updating the media on the progress and challenges pertaining to the 14 priorities of government.
Matona, who is the former Department of Public Enterprises Director General, left Eskom as its former CEO in May this year.
Minister Radebe said, among others, the mandate of the commission will include undertaking detailed planning in selected sectors such as water and energy to facilitate more effective implementation of the NDP.
In addition, the NDP highlights the importance of working in partnerships and the commission will have an important role to play in facilitating partnerships across sectors.
“The commission will also continue to play a role of advising government on how to implement the NDP and the broader planning and policy issues that have implications for the long term development of the country,” Minister Radebe said.
The Minister also highlighted that despite the tough economic conditions, government is making steady progress in implementing the NDP.
He said the department will also assist provinces to ensure their plans are aligned with the NDP. – SAnews.gov.za
