Phuthaditjhaba Industrial Park to boost Free State economy

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Bulelani Magwanishe and the Free State MEC for Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Limakatso Mahasa, will today launch the revitalised Phuthaditjhaba Industrial Park, which is expected to boost the local economy.

“The industrial park is expected to boost the local economy and create jobs for members of the local communities. Significant milestones have been achieved through the implementation of the first phase of the industrial parks revitalisation programme across the country,” said Magwanishe ahead of the launch.

The objective of the programme is to revitalise State-owned industrial parks in order to promote industrialisation and increase their contribution to job creation and the country’s economic growth.

The launch of the revitalised R50 million industrial park will get underway at the Phuthaditjhaba Multi-Purpose Centre in QwaQwa.

Tuesday’s launch is a collaboration between the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA), Free State Development Corporation (FDC), as well as the Thabo Mofutsanyane District and Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipalities.

Magwanishe said the programme is also in line with the department’s economic transformation initiatives aimed at ensuring that all regions of the country and enterprises participate meaningfully in the mainstream economy.

The revitalisation of the Phuthaditjhaba industrial park included the upgrading of security infrastructure including fencing, street lighting, installation of boom gates, pedestrian gates, installation of CCTV cameras and control room, as well as the refurbishment of high mast lights. 

According to Mahasa, the revitalisation of the Phuthaditjhaba Industrial Park is a welcome initiative as it is in line with the province’s efforts to attract new investors to the province’s industrial parks and to retain the current tenants.

The MEC said Phuthaditjhaba Industrial Park is the second industrial park that the dti has revitalised in the province after Botshabelo Industrial Park.

“The exercise will make our industrial parks attractive to both small and big businesses as the security and other infrastructure will be upgraded.

“We want to see the occupancy rate of our industrial parks increasing to full capacity as new tenants occupy them and those that are already operating from there expand their businesses knowing that the government is committed to improving the infrastructure.

“This is how we want to assist the industrial parks create jobs for the communities where they are located,” said Mahasa. - SAnews.gov.za