In contributing towards government's effort to halve unemployment and poverty by 2014, the Economic Cluster is working towards a critical growth path, drawing on the priority projects of the Programme of Action (PoA). The Cluster is reviewing capital expenditure procurement of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), assessing how existing government policies are affecting the ability to optimise the development impact of the SOE Capex procurement.
I would like to focus on the following: communication of our plans; capacity in the Department and the SOEs; progress in a refined governance system for the SOEs; key developments in each of the SOEs; and finally the industrial impact of the infrastructure programme.
The economy's weak state manifested itself in an apartheid debt of R254 million, stagnant Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, declining savings and investment rates, falling formal sector employment and a decline in per capita GDP. AsgiSA focuses government's actions more sharply to ensure that we exceed our growth, development and employment targets. In order to expedite sector development, the Department of Trade and Industry is at an advanced stage of developing sector strategies.
As part of the Imbizo Focus Week, the following ministers will be conducting Municipal Izimbizo in the municipalities detailed below. Media interested in conducting interviews with any of the ministers are requested to contact the numbers provided for enquiries. Imbizo: Participatory and integrated governance to build a South Africa that truly belongs to all.
South Africa is also in the interesting position that it is playing a leading role in the development of high temperature reactors in the form of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR). The development of the PBMR in South Africa has to be seen in this context. South Africa is in a particularly strong position to advance the technology of high temperature reactors.
Today we unveil to the community, the refurbished centre that will be used by the Khanyiselani Development Trust. Established in 2002 the Khanyiselani Development Trust has been working closely with a number of government organisations including the provincial Departments of Health and Social Services, the local municipality, healthcare workers, educators and the library to provide care, support and empowerment services to vulnerable children, youth, women and their families.