of the opening of Export Africa 2006
24 May 2006
Programme Director
Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mandisi Mpahlwa
Honourable Minister of Trade, Dr Marie Elka Pangestu
Ambassadors and High Commissioners present
Trade Commissioners and Commercial Attaches
Delegates and Exhibitors
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the South African Government and the people of our country I
extend a hearty welcome to all of you. This august occasion provides our
countries with a significant platform to improve trade relations, to access new
opportunities as well as to facilitate faster growth and development. This
occasion also underscores the importance of greater co-operation between our
countries and extending business-to-business contact as well as cordial
bilateral and multilateral relations between our respective governments.
This event is an opportunity for manufacturers, merchandise traders,
investors, importers, exporters and trade management service providers in
government, finance and business to showcase their services and products to key
buyers and potential trading partners from across the globe. In this way, all
activities focused on Africa can be pursued in an integrated and coordinated
fashion within the framework of priorities and needs identified by Africans for
themselves and the United Nations Millennium Goals. As the host government, we
are supportive of our business community becoming more involved in the rest of
Africa. We actively encourage South African businesses to invest and increase
the levels of trade, which includes both exporting and importing.
The South African Government works in partnership with all stakeholders to
improve programmes for economic growth and development here and abroad, and in
conjunction with those partners sets targets that are achievable and ensures
the co-ordination of programmes. In an era defined both by the integration of
the world economy and the formation of regional economic groupings, our country
and yours cannot afford to lag behind in bidding for international investments
and securing an equitable share of the global investment market. Such is the
interdependence of our economies that through globalisation that each country
is compelled to consider its own trade and development needs within the context
of the needs of our continent as a whole.
We must therefore act together to ensure that all our countries have the
capacity to take advantage of the opportunity that this platform among many
others provides for us to increase trade between ourselves. The existence of
diplomatic relations between our countries and the signing of mutually
beneficial trade agreements has provided a new era of trade and investment to
our people across the continent. The challenge as we remarked then is how to
translate these major developments into achievable and sustainable programmes
of economic benefit, which will make an impact on our economies and create a
better life for all!
This Trade Expo should therefore ensure that we make headway in what would
be a most remarkable expression of the concrete elaboration of the programmes
of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) as well as the lofty
ideal of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The adoption of NEPAD
is considered as one of the most important developments of recent times for the
conception of an Afro-centric development programme placing Africa at the apex
of the global agenda, by among others:
* creating an instrument to advance a people centred sustainable development in
Africa based on democratic values
* being premised on the recognition that Africa has an abundance of natural
resources and people who have the capacity to be agents for change and so holds
the key to her own development
* providing a common African platform from which to engage the rest of the
international community in a dynamic partnership that holds real prospects for
creating a better life for all.
In the context of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD),
South Africa and many of its partners in the Southern African development
Community as well as sub Sahara and North Africa are obliged to ensure that
they play a key role in ensuring the real development of the continent and its
people.
We want to urge participants at this Trade Expo to actively participate in the
programmes of the day and interact freely as is the culture and hospitality of
our country. I salute all the exhibitors at this trade expo for the high
quality of their exhibitions and for the commitment they display by
participating at this Trade Expo.
With those few words allow me to acknowledge, welcome and introduce the
Honourable Minister of Trade, Dr Marie Elka Pangestu, from the Republic of
Indonesia, who is here to share with us her experiences and knowledge in the
field of international trade, finance and monetary affairs.
Dr Pangestu, is involved with the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies in Jakarta and also in numerous studies in Shanghai, China. As a noted
free trade economist, Dr Pangestu has earned acknowledgement from the World
Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank.
May I ask all of us to welcome the Honourable Minister of Trade Dr. Pangestu
to the podium.
I thank you all
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
24 May 2006
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.northern-cape.gov.za)
