5 November 2006
North West Premier, Edna Molewa, on her return from Japan, said the key
objective of the Japanese trip centred on skills training of South Africans in
order to be competitive in the international world.
She said the North West province has platinum and the Japanese have
excellent technology and production skills and that it is important that the
province create good relations with the Japanese.
The Premier ended her visit to Japan yesterday and said following the Deputy
President's visit to Tokyo which focused on building mutual relationships to
further the aims of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South
Africa (AsgiSA) programme, building relationships for skills development and
capacity building through the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition
(JIPSA) programme, technology transfer and partnership. This however will not
be limited to the mineral beneficiation, engineering, Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) and bio-technology and business process
outsourcing.
Premier Molewa said it takes a lot of time to engage and leverage on the
compatibility to start discussions of a possible partnership in future with
Japanese jewellery makers. "Future interaction with the Japanese is crucial,"
she said.
During the visit, Premier Molewa, accompanying senior government officials
and business people, managed to meet with key people in the jewellery industry
who were all positive in forming a mutual partnership with the North West
Provincial Government.
The meeting with her counterpart, the Governor of Yamanashi Prefectural
Government (one of the Japanese provinces), Governor Takahiko Yamamoto, took
place in the city of Kofu, which produces over a third of platinum jewellery in
the world. Governor Yamamoto conceded and agreed to support the North West
Government.
The two provinces share a similar vision through the North West Provincial
Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) and their Koju-ken plan.
"Our PGDS focuses on growing the economy by 6,6% by the year 2014 through
among others mineral beneficiation, with emphasis on Platinum and reducing
poverty by 50% through improving skills levels through accelerated
implementation of JIPSA and encouraging entrepreneurship through targeted
small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) development," said Molewa
Governor Yamamoto said a shared partnership is important. "We have accepted
that North West is one of the biggest producers of platinum in the world and we
are ready to partner with you and ensure that you also benefit through platinum
beneficiation and skill training. Follow up visits are very important so that
we a have a mutual understanding of the partnership," he said.
Premier Molewa extended an invitation for Governor Yamamoto to lead a
delegation and visit South Africa.
Amongst others, Premier Molewa and delegates met Japan Jewellery Association
members, marketers of platinum (Platinum Guild Association), Uchihara group,
Mayor of the City of Kofu, Mayor Masanobu Miyajima, Yamanashi Federation of
Crystal, Gem and Jewellery Associations/Ishitomo Company Limited, Kofu Chamber
of Commerce and Industry and the Institute of Gemology and Jewellery Art
Yamanashi Prefectural Government.
Enquiries:
Russel Mamabolo
Tel: (018) 387 3103
Cell: 082 900 6610
E-mail: rmamabolo@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: North West Provincial Government
5 November 2006
