16 October 2007
Premier Ebrahim Rasool says Western Cape's 5,5% growth is a significant
achievement: stresses sharing of benefits of growth.
Premier Ebrahim Rasool says the Western Cape has made significant gains in
growth and development over the last three years, but stressed the need for
sharing the spoils of a booming local economy.
Speaking at the Western Cape's second Growth and Development Summit in Cape
Town today (Tuesday), Rasool said the province's growth rate of 5,5% was the
most significant achievement since the last summit in 2003. "In the five years
leading up to our first Growth and Development Summit in 2003, our average
growth rate was 4,1%. In the three years following that to 2007, average growth
is averaging at 5,5%," Rasool said.
The Premier was addressing more than 400 delegates from civil society,
labour, business and government representing the social partners in the
Provincial Development Council. "That has not been an inconsequential
achievement," said Rasool.
"On the contrary, it is quite significant, especially given the fact that
the national growth target set by the President is six percent to be achieved
by 2010."The Western Cape's growth had been nurtured by the development of a
sector-based micro-economic strategy which the province had been following in
recent years. A strategic infrastructure plan was putting in place the
infrastructure required by different sectors to help them grow. Also, a human
capital plan was in place which understood the skills that would be required to
boost the economy. That plan gave rise to focus schools, to Further Education
and Training (FET) colleges and to greater rigour in the way in which the
government distributed bursaries sectors which had scarce skills.
The province had far exceeded its infrastructure targets of R5 billion set
at the 2003 summit. "As we speak now, our infrastructure investment is
exceeding R12 billion as public transport infrastructure is being put in place.
This includes: a rail extension in Khayelitsha and other plans that will come
to fruition by 2010, the airport being upgraded, property transactions which
have risen, the 2010 stadium being built hotels are mushrooming, and the energy
sector is being secured, we launched two weeks ago two gas-fired power stations
and the Berg River Dam is being built, amongst others."
"A R12 billion investment does not mean that infrastructure is simply fallen
from the heavens someone has built it," said Rasool, adding that 99 000 jobs
had been created in the Western Cape since 2003. However, the Western Cape's
'iKapa Elihlumayo' growth strategy also emphasised the need to test whether the
province's growth in investment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had translated
into shared in a province that was "chronically unequal".
It was for this reason, amongst others, that the Western Cape had responded
to the President's call for a developmental state. "We need and are building a
state that understands our history and understands that if we leave it to the
market that will perpetuate and exacerbate the apartheid fault lines by pushing
our people to the periphery of society and making inequality even greater."
"It is in that context that government sets about intervening in the
economy, not merely setting the environment for growth, not merely creating the
conditions for the economy, but beginning to give direction to it," said
Rasool. The Premier called on government's partners in civil society, labour
and business to inject new energy into their partnership to ensure that the
economy grew even faster, but also to ensure that the benefits reached those
who needed it most.
Enquiries:
Jeremy Michaels
Acting Chief Director: Communications
Cell: 082 772 1122
Tel: 021 483 9955
Fax: 021 483 7196
E-mail: jmichaels@pgwc.gov.za
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Western Cape Provincial Government
16 October 2007
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
