A de Wet: Eastern Cape Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism Prov
Budget Vote 2006/07

23 March 2006

Introduction

“Where there is no hope, there can be no endeavour” Samuel Johnson

Our Honourable President in his State of the Nation Address, referred to
this period in the life of our nation as an “age of hope”. We in the Province
of the Eastern Cape share this positive sentiment and we will endeavour to
build and sustain this hope. The rays of hope on the horizon, that the quality
of life of all our people is steadily improving, serves to reinvigorate us to
work harder, faster and smarter to achieve more. Not for us, but for all the
people in the Province we serve. We are enthused and motivated by this hope and
the vast possibilities, opportunities and potentials it represents of creating
a better life for all.

Towards this end, we will continue to endeavour, at any cost personally or
otherwise, to contribute to ensure that this hope is translated into reality.
Furthermore, this hope lies not in the ability or capacity of one individual or
even a group of individuals and the only individual that is irreplaceable, is
he or she that draws their hand from a bucket of water, leaving a space where
their hand once was.

There is no hope in selfish actions or self-interest. Real hope, tangible
and pure, is based on the collective will and commitment of all, to do what is
right and to work tirelessly and together to address the needs and aspirations
of the people. In the words of our former President, “We owe a commitment to
the poor, the oppressed, the wretched and the despised” and through their hope
we are reenergised to commit ourselves to this duty.

The forthcoming financial year will focus on achieving tangible results and
deliverables. The time for stabilisation and consolidation is now over and all
our efforts will be geared to improving the quality of life of the people of
the Eastern Cape, particularly the poorest of the poor.

The Provincial Economic Context

The Honourable President, in his State of the Nation Address indicated that
expectations were that government should make the necessary interventions with
regard to the First Economy to accelerate progress towards the achievement of
higher levels of economic growth and development of at least 6% a year and
through such, give hope to those toiling in the Second Economy.

According to StatsSA for the 2004 year, whilst real Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) growth stood at 4,5%, real GDPR growth in the Province was at 4,6%,
clearly indicating the positive growth trajectory of the Eastern Cape
Province’s economy, offering us the hope to endeavour. We are anticipating and
hopeful that this positive trend will continue and are keenly awaiting the real
GDPR growth rate for 2005, which is soon to be released by StatsSA. This will
enable us to measure our progress as a province against the real GDP growth
rate of 4,9% for 2005 and set the stage for provincial intervention during the
2006/07 financial year.

Budget for 2006/07

The Department’s efforts for 2006/07 will be fuelled by a budget that
amounts to R519.1 million. This represents a decrease of about 17% over the
2005/06 budget of R622.77 million. Of this total amount, R372 million or 72% is
allocated to Transfer Payments to Public Entities that implement the
Department’s policy responsibilities in terms of Service Level Agreements
(SLAs). The decrease in departmental budget can mainly be attributed to a new
funding model for the Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) Programme in the
country being introduced by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during
the coming financial year.

In terms of the 2006 Estimates of National Expenditure of the DTI, provision
has been made for substantial funding of the Coega Development Corporation
(R345 million) during the 2006/07 financial year as well as funding of the
ELIDZ (R58.2 million). It has furthermore been announced that National Cabinet
will be approving funding and IDZ-specific incentives during April 2006, with
implementation of the new national funding model, separate from the Critical
Infrastructure Programme (CIP), following in May 2006. The greater proportion
of the allocation to Public Entities continues to consist of transfers to the
East London IDZ (R107 million) and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation
(ECDC) (R108 million) totalling nearly R215 million.

The allocation to the ECDC – from R69.6 million in the previous financial
year to R108 million for the 2006/07 financial year, represents an increase of
66%. This is a visible manifestation of the DEAET’s strategic intent to promote
and stimulate growth within the small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMME)
sector.

Promoting tourism and regulating the gambling and liquor industries absorbs
a further R52.1 million of the Department’s budget, whilst R79.7 million has
been allocated to the Eastern Cape Parks Board, now a fully fledged public
entity registered in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) during
the past financial year. The balance of approximately R147 million (28%) has
been allocated to the Department’s normal operational activities, representing
a marginal increase of R4 million from 2005/06.

Summary details of the Department’s budget for 2006/07 are indicated in the
Annexure to this presentation.

General Review of 2005/06

During our last budget policy speech to this House, we reflected on the
strategic nature of the Economic Growth and Infrastructure Cabinet Committee in
realising the developmental goals enshrined in the Provincial Growth and
Development Plan (PGDP). This Committee continues to deliver on its mandate and
in doing so, provides support to numerous development initiatives, including
the provincial sugar beet initiative, bio-fuels initiative, asset conversion
policy roll-out, forestry development initiatives, expanded public works
programme (EPWP), rail and transport related infrastructure development and
oversight in relation to planning and implementation of the provincial ICON
projects. The Committee was also central to the recent, very successful Jobs
Summit held in February 2006.

Invigorated by these initiatives that provide so much hope for the future,
we will continue to do so during 2006/07, while strengthening the operations of
this structure and learning from our experiences during the past financial
year. The centrality of the PGDP as our provincial blueprint of hope and
development was furthermore emphasised and I will reflect briefly on some of
the highlights and achievements of our efforts towards attaining our delivery
targets:

* A commitment was made to address the dire development need of our
provincial SMME sector and it is our firm belief that not only the increased
budgetary allocation to the ECDC for the next financial year, as well as the
institutionalisation of the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) within
the Province will propel us forward towards the overall attainment of this
developmental goal. Initiatives such as the revitalisation of Dimbaza and
Butterworth, currently being undertaken by the ECDC, are opportunities for
strengthening strategic partnerships.

In this regard, we applaud the Border-Kei Chamber of Business’s efforts and
we look forward to pooling our resources and ideas towards this end.
Furthermore, the Jobs Summit Agreement concluded during February 2006 between
government, business, labour and our social partners is a tangible
manifestation of our commitment to actively engage all partners in reinforcing
our support to this vitally important sector.

* Work by the ECDC has been ongoing in respect of various projects including
the maize milling initiatives, cotton projects and timber cluster projects. The
recent announcement of the R1.3 billion investment by Steinhoff in the
Ugie/Maclear area as well as the appointment of a dedicated project manager by
the Board of the ECDC needs to be applauded and celebrated as being the first
step towards an improved quality of life for communities in this historically
neglected area of our Province.

* During the 2005/06 budget policy speech, the development of a Provincial
Industrial Strategy was raised for the first time. Much work has been done
under the guidance of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Growth and
Infrastructure with sterling technical support delivered by ECSECC. We
anticipate our provincial strategy as being firmly located within the context
of the National Regional Industrial Development Planning procedures as well as
the critical LED aspects of Municipal IDPs.
* The completion of the Ngqura Port is in sight and negotiations with potential
investors have led to agreements with three investors at Coega and four at the
ELIDZ, cumulatively creating at least 1500 permanent jobs.

Prospects for 2006/07

Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP)

In the words of our Honourable Premier, the PGDP is our blueprint for the
turnaround of the Eastern Cape, with a primary goal of halving unemployment in
our Province by 2014. Although much work has already been done and progress
reported to this House by the Honourable Premier during her State of the
Province Address, it is our firm view that two steps do not make a trail – we
will therefore play our role in ensuring that during the new financial year,
the Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development Cabinet Committee continues
to manage developments related to the PGDP Programmes that fall under its
jurisdiction.

Increased attention will be accorded to Monitoring and Evaluation through
regular reporting between the Cluster, Cabinet Committee and Cabinet –
ultimately ensuring the attainment of our developmental vision for the Province
of the Eastern Cape.

Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA)
The AsgiSA was launched by the Presidency and represents a co-ordinated
approach to economic growth and development. This will be a national shared
growth initiative rather than “government’s programme” and as such government,
private sector and labour interests are committed to securing the basic
objectives of AsgiSA.

Within the Eastern Cape, we have adopted the principles of this Programme
for all PGDP programmes so as to ensure that our initiatives are aligned with
national undertakings. We look forward to working closely with national
government and the other role-players involved in this shared endeavour.

Jobs Summit Commitments

The Eastern Cape Government hosted a successful Jobs Summit during February
2006. This occasion provided an opportunity for identifying specific directions
for job-creating economic growth and investment within the Province. At the
Summit, the Honourable Deputy President outlined the main thrust of the AsgiSA
programmes, indicating very clearly that several major investments will be
channelled to the Eastern Cape in the coming financial year. We accept the
Deputy President’s challenge regarding the spending of all allocated resources,
especially within the context of the PGDP and pledge our dedication and
commitment to ensuring the realization of this developmental goal.

The Jobs Summit furthermore culminated in an Agreement being signed between
government, business, labour and social partners, clearly outlining a set of
commitments. Some of the actual deliverables agreed to include:

* A robust social partnership between government, social partners and all
role players in support of the 2014 PGDP targets with specific reference to job
creation;
* Specific focus on youth, women, disabled and people living with HIV and AIDS;
* Developing of strategies for rescuing vulnerable sectors and
industries;
* Sector Summits to be held by the end of the 2006/07 financial year, these
will be aimed at formulating and implementing sector strategies, commit
investment and create jobs under the auspices of an overarching Provincial
Industrial Strategy (Priority sectors include Tourism, Agriculture,
Agri-Processing, Forestry/Timber, Construction, Automotive and related
industries);
* Key development to be linked to the PGDP priorities, being: IDZ Programme,
Kei Development Corridor, Wild Coast Development, Motor Industry, etc.

We thank all stakeholders for their contribution to the hope contained in
this agreement. In order to ensure appropriate planning as well as effective,
efficient and economic roll out of these commitments, the Economic Growth and
Infrastructure Development Cabinet Committee will ensure ongoing oversight as
well as close interaction with all participating interests in the Province. An
Action Plan is currently being collated by the Cluster to ensure the
operationalisation of all commitments, as agreed to by all signatories to the
Agreement.

Review of the Department

The Office of the HOD has initiated a process to ensure that all Strategic
Planning documents and procedures are in accordance with national and
provincial treasury specifications. This process is well underway and will be
concluded during the 2006/07 financial year with the inclusion of all Public
Entities reporting to the DEAET. A new Strategic Management Programme will be
established during 2006/07 which will be tasked with the supervision and
management of the strategic planning process, including all alignment
responsibilities with the PGDP, AsgiSA, co-ordination in relation to the Jobs
Summit deliverables and co-ordination and integration of and with municipal
IDPs.

The successful operationalisation of this critical Programme is therefore
paramount to the achievement of tangible deliverables as per our provincial
development blueprint the PGDP.

Programme 1: Administration – R40.457 million

This Programme deals with critical support functions, essential for the
effective, efficient and economical functioning of the Department as well as
all associated Public Entities. In the field of Human Resource Development, the
Department has heeded the call of our Honourable President in his State of the
Nation Address on the 3 February 2006 that “…to meet our objectives, we have to
pay particular attention to the issue of scarce skills that will negatively
affect the capacity of both the public and private sectors to meet the goals
set…”. We will continue to contribute to the realisation of this call as well
as the PGDP priority of Skills Development and the National Skills Development
Strategy, by means of bursaries and learnerships focusing on Environmental
Management and Economic Development. It is our firm view that this will ensure
that our youth obtain the necessary skills and experience that are relevant to
the demands of the labour market. This strategy will be expanded on during the
next financial year to provide opportunities to qualified and unemployed youth
to obtain work experience through internships, thus contributing to the
reduction of unemployment within the Province.

This initiative is furthermore linked to one of our Departmental Special
Programmes Unit’s (SPU) key focus areas being skilling the youth for
employment. The successful Career Expos held by this Unit, in co-operation with
the Department of Education and Provincial Institutions of Higher Learning
during February 2006, will be critically evaluated with a view of rolling out
throughout the Province during the next financial year.

This initiative forms part of a broader strategy aimed at ensuring that
marginalised groups are targeted in the Economic Growth and Infrastructure
Development Cluster so that they too may benefit from ICON and other provincial
anchor projects. The SPU will furthermore be at the forefront of driving the
Economic Empowerment of Women Summit during August 2006, proposed by the
Honourable Premier in her State of the Province Address on 10 February
2006.

Turning to Financial Management - during the past financial year, despite a
context of belt-tightening and intense financial vigilance, we have managed to
reduce the creditor’s payment cycle from 63 to 39 days and during 2006/07 we
will improve on this by reducing it further to 20 days. As almost 72% of the
budget of the Department is transferred to our service delivery Public
Entities, the Department has ensured that Service Level Agreements (SLAs) have
been put in place during the past financial year linked to appropriate
monitoring and evaluation of financial expenditure against the realisation of
strategic objectives.

Furthermore, all funds voted by this House for the 2005/06 financial year as
transfer payments to the various Public Entities were transferred and duly
accounted for by them. We intend analyzing the financial flow to the Public
Entities very carefully with a view of building on our successes and
strengthening the strategic partnerships that drive economic development
throughout the Province. The revenue collection tariffs of the Department will
be reviewed during the next financial year so as to ensure optimal revenue
collection and further research will be conducted into the identification of
additional revenue sources to broaden the revenue collection sources of the
Department. This will be done in conjunction with the revenue collection
agencies of the Department.

Programme 2: Information Management – R14 million

The Department furthermore prides itself on pioneering new applications of
Information Technology that can be directly linked to the practical needs of 12
governments, more especially through the implementation of an electronic
Performance Management Tool based on the Balanced Scorecard methodology. This
tool was successfully launched during the 2005/06 financial year and will be
enhanced during 2006/07 with specific emphasis on full integration with all
Public Entities.

This initiative will place the Department in good stead to identify pockets
of excellence in service delivery and ensure that these are replicated, but
also assist as an early warning system ensuring the advance identification of
areas in need of assistance or additional support. Further initiatives include
the roll out of the Electronic Document Management System to all Regions of the
Department as well as a new collaborative Intranet site that will become the
portal for all future systems.

Programme 3: Economic Affairs – R297.125 million

This Programme is responsible for the facilitation of economic growth and
development throughout the Province, whilst ensuring adequate protection of the
welfare of consumers. As such, one of the major challenges for this Programme
during the coming financial year will be the implementation of various new
pieces of legislation, in consultation with the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) with an aim of enhancing economic development and ensuring
better protection of consumer rights.

These laws include the National Credit Bill, the Consumer Protection Bill as
well as the Co-operatives Act No. 14 of 2005. The enactment of these laws
necessitates the reconfiguration of institutional arrangements, as well as the
review and amendment of the Provincial Unfair Business Practices Act. The
Department has accordingly positioned itself to address the institutional
alignment in order to deliver on the new legislative mandates during 2006/07.
13 The Department will furthermore pilot the Sustainable Rural Village Model
during the 2006/07 financial year, with the identification of pilot projects
aimed at testing the model and replicate successes throughout the Province. For
this initiative, an amount of R20 million has been set aside. Possible linkages
with the cooperatives programme as well as Small Enterprise Development Agency
(SEDA) will furthermore be investigated and supported, where possible.

The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) remains at the centre of
economic growth and development within the Province. During the past financial
year the institution has made vast strides in respect of improved Corporate
Governance, accountability and legislative compliance, finalising the
consolidation phase and propelling the ECDC forward in delivering on its
developmental mandates. Furthermore, the Board of the ECDC initiated a HR Audit
of the corporation during 2005/06 with a view of assessing the efficacy of the
institution for delivering on its mandate.

The outcome of this Audit indicated some revealing trends, and in certain
instances, potentially severe negative implications for the Corporation. Some
of these were:
* The absence of a uniform remuneration system;
* No effective job grading system and the absence of job descriptions;
* 41% of revenue being spent on salaries and wages, whilst the norm in similar
organisations is 30%;
* 40 – 50% of posts being in middle and top management, whereas the norm in
similar organisations are 20%; and
* Severe skills deficiencies in a number of strategic areas.

In dealing with these issues, the Board embarked on a restructuring process,
aimed at positioning the ECDC to deliver optimally on its mandate, to avoid 14
duplications, to ensure legislative compliance and to ensure that resources of
the Corporation are utilised in the most effective and efficient manner.
Despite the negative assumptions associated with the restructuring processes in
institutions, the objective in this instance is to ensure that the identified
deficiencies are addressed with compassion, urgency and rigour.

It is envisaged that during the coming financial year, the restructuring
process will be finalised as well as the implementation of the Risk and
Compliance Audit’s recommendations ensuring full legislative compliance in
terms of the PFMA as well as other relevant laws. It is furthermore envisaged
that the completion of these processes will ensure that the ECDC is
appropriately placed to deliver on its developmental mandate and to make a
meaningful contribution to the economic growth and development of the Province,
ultimately improving the quality of life of our people.

The ECDC will furthermore finalise its strategy towards the establishment of
a Provincial Development Facilitation Fund during 2006/07. This will ensure
that provincial funding would be geared to ensure appropriate investment
incentives, ultimately leading to increased economic growth and job creation
throughout the Province. At this point, it is prudent for me to thank the
former ECDC CEO, Kevin Wakeford, for his tenure at and contribution to, the
organisation. Mr Wakeford will be taking up an opportunity in the private
sector that he is particularly interested in pursuing.

We wish him and his family all the best. The level of development of our two
Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) is very encouraging as the support of the
three spheres of government has made it possible for these economic development
drivers to take their rightful place within the economic scale of the Local,
Provincial and National economic platform. As 15 has been mentioned, the
Department is keenly awaiting details of the new funding model for IDZs to be
introduced by the DTI during the coming financial year and pledge our full
support to ensure the success of these strategic projects aimed at addressing
economic growth and development as well as the scourge of poverty and
unemployment within the Province.

We are extremely excited and encouraged by the progress of the IDZs in
attracting investors and commit ourselves to supporting them in their
endeavours. The Eastern Cape Tourism Board (ECTB) has continued to ensure the
promotion of sustainable tourism development throughout the past financial
year. During the 2006/07 financial year, the ECTB will focus on the
implementation and management of the Eastern Cape Tourism Development and
Co-operative Marketing Fund, which aims to develop co-operative partnerships
with SMMEs, the private sector, Regional Tourism Associations and Organisations
as well as municipalities to develop and market projects in a more
co-ordinated, cohesive and co-operative way. This Fund will involve the
following programmes:

* SMME “Market Readiness” Mentorship Programme – aimed at providing small
and medium enterprises with the required skills and expertise to ensure their
access to domestic and international markets;
* SMME “Expand Your Business Horizons” Programme – aimed at offering assistance
for the improvement and expansion of existing SMMEs which are black and women
owned;
* Regional and Public Sector Projects Programme – aimed at promoting
partnerships between the ECTB, municipalities and other relevant organizations
within the tourism industry with a view of ensuring appropriate tourism
infrastructure development for each region;
* Regional Marketing Programme – aimed at establishing a strong brand for each
of the Province’s tourism regions in partnership with district municipalities
and regional tourism organizations;
* Industry Marketing Programme – aimed at the promotion of specific campaigns
or promotions around a time of year, theme or an event within the
Province;
* Trade Marketing Programme – aimed at the promotion of the Eastern Cape in
co-operative partnerships with the travel trade.

Due to the strategic nature and importance of the Fund, the ECTB has agreed
to fast-track the roll-out process and aims to ensure the readiness and
availability of certain elements of the Fund to ensure a high state of
readiness within the tourism sector for the holiday season during December
2006. The Board is furthermore readying itself for a Tourism Summit to be held
shortly, flowing from the recent successful Provincial Jobs Summit.

It is envisaged that all role-players and stakeholders within the tourism
sector will meet and thrash out a clear way forward in ensuring sustainable
tourism development as catalyst for increased economic growth and job creation
throughout our Province. The Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board will once
again exceed its revenue collection targets for the current financial year as a
result of favourable macro-economic conditions prevailing throughout the
period. The projected tax collections for the 2005/06 financial year is R65
million.

The Board has furthermore embarked on a process of calling for casino bids
in respect of the outstanding casino licenses in zones 3 and 4 and much
interest has already been shown in this process. In terms of the Limited Payout
Machine Industry, additional fees and taxes for the Province are anticipated.
It is furthermore essential to emphasise that the main objectives of this
industry are essentially job creation and the promotion of BEE in line with the
aims of the PGDP.

It is anticipated that by the end of March 2006 the Board would have
licensed 140 sites with 610 machines exposed for playing. This process will be
completed in 2006/07. The Eastern Cape Liquor Board has been fully operational
during the past financial year and has issued temporary liquor licenses to more
than 15 000 taverners. It is envisaged that during the 2006/07 financial year,
the Board will conclude the following issues:
* Finalise and publish the results of a study into the socio-economic impact of
Liquor Regulation in the Eastern Cape;
* Launch nine (9) District Offices of the Eastern Cape Liquor Board; • Put
appropriate programmes in place, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to
prevent alcohol abuse amongst vulnerable groups, including juveniles and the
unemployed;
* Launch a multimedia law enforcement strategy with the South African Police
Service (SAPS), the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), the Assets
Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the South African revenue Services (SARS) to curb
illegal tax evasion, racketeering, and the like, in registered retail
outlets.

Programme 4: Environmental Affairs – R150.196 million

This Programme is responsible for ensuring sustainable environmental
management within the Province. During the 2006/07 financial year, major shifts
in environmental emphases are expected as a result of changes in national
policy and legislation. These include:
* The repeal of the current environmental impact regulations that will lead to
the registration of all independent consultants with the Interim Certification
Board, payment of an application fee in respect of all new listed activities,
categorisation of all applications with a view of potentially shortening the
process and the introduction of strict timeframes in respect of the
administrative processes related to Environmental Impact Assessments
(EIAs);
* The implementation of Section 20 of the Environmental Conservation Amendment
Act, 2003, transferring functions from the Department of Water Affairs to the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and in turn, onward delegation
to the Province, in respect of applications dealing with land-fill sites –
proposed amendments have already been put forward in respect of the soon to be
approved departmental organogram to ensure that the necessary capacity exists
to deal with this new function;
* The promulgation of the Air Quality Management Act, 2005, transferring
functions to the local sphere of government with the involvement of Provinces
that has necessitated a training programme to be rolled out to all
municipalities by the DEAET.

The DEAET has also been working tirelessly on finding short, medium and long
term solutions to the expeditious processing of Environmental Impact
Assessments, submitted to the Department in terms of relevant legislation. It
has been widely reported in the media that delays in relation to processing of
applications have been experienced, specifically in the Western region of our
Province. This has had a negative effect on development initiatives as well as
led to possible transgressions of the Act.

The short-term strategy of seconding officials from other regions to Port
Elizabeth, with a view of eradicating backlogs, has yielded positive results.
The untenable situation of delayed processing has further been addressed in the
longer term and as such, my Department has employed additional officials to the
Port Elizabeth Regional Office to alleviate pressures experienced on a
sustainable basis.

Furthermore, to ensure a high degree of readiness in dealing with the
increased number of applications – directly linked to higher economic growth
manifested by a 30% increase in applications received in the Western region
during the past financial year – the departmental organogram has been reviewed
and appropriate structures put in place to deal with the anticipated growth in
this area. Further interventions include the immediate appointment of
administrative support staff to ensure that applicants are kept informed about
the status of their applications as well as devising prioritisation criteria,
linked to the development imperatives of the PGDP, to ensure the rapid
eradication of historical backlogs in applications.

The Eastern Cape Parks Board was relaunched with an exciting new branding
strategy on Friday, 17 March 2006. The Board has been in place for almost two
years and much ground has been covered to position this entity firmly as
catalyst for economic growth and development within our Province. Although
mainly tasked with biodiversity conservation within our Province, I have
challenged the Board, together with those of the ECTB and ECDC, to collectively
identify at least one provincial reserve and ensure that through appropriate
integrated development planning, including infrastructure development,
investment promotion and marketing thereof, we ensure the development of a
world class tourism destination – capable of attracting international tourists,
whilst remaining accessible to our domestic, and specifically provincial
tourists.

They have taken up this challenge and tell me that in terms of biodiversity
conservation, our reserves are already world-class! We will watch them with
keen interest during the next financial year to see the realisation of this
aspiration. The Board is furthermore tasked with the ongoing commercialisation
process of our identified provincial reserves and will ensure that an
inclusive, legislatively compliant process is rolled out, aimed at ensuring
optimal benefit and increased economic activity, benefiting the poorest of the
poor, within our Province.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I need to thank a number of people who’s endeavours sustain my
hope : the Honourable Premier; my Cabinet colleagues and specifically those in
the Cabinet Committee of Economic Growth and Infrastructure; the Standing
Committee and Study Group; my Head of Department, Advocate Naledi
Burwana-Bisiwe and Management of the Department; Chairpersons, Board members
and CEOs of the various Public Entities; Departmental staff and those of the
public entities. We are inspired by the individual and collective hope of the
people of the Province and the endeavours of those who strive to translate
these hopes to reality. These hopes and endeavours, encourage us to achieve and
to deliver in accordance with the mandate given to us, and thereby contribute
positively to the achievement of a better life for all.
I thank you.

To view budget table, please visit: http://www.ecprov.gov.za/municipality/Uploads/library/final%20draft%20budget%20policy%20speech%2006.pdf

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism,
Eastern Cape Provincial Government
23 March 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za/)