Group
17 July 2007
President Thabo Mbeki met with the Joint Presidential Working Group on big
business, black business, labour and Business Unity South Africa at the Union
Buildings today. The meeting considered a detailed progress report on the
implementation of the Growth and Development Summit (GDS) agreements as well as
discussed the alignment of the GDS and the Accelerated and Shared Growth
Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA). The GDS progress report noted a 90%
success rate in the implementation of agreed undertakings, with 4,2%
outstanding and 5,8% work in progress.
The successes noted in the report include:
* About R4 billion in loans already advanced to black small business by
banks.
* At least 459 840 cumulative work opportunities created through Expanded
Public Works Programme (EPWP) since inception to December 2006.
* 167 073 new work opportunities in community based care, 24 000 of whom will
be long-term employees.
* At least 37 238 jobs created through the Labour Job Creation Trust.
* The recruitment of about 5 130 young people nationally in the financial year
2006/07 through the National Youth Service.
* 2,9 million learners attending no fee schools in 2006.
* By 30 September 2006, R2,3 billion had been spent on municipal
infrastructure, with the majority spent on water projects and municipal roads.
206 318 households have benefited from water projects and 90 790 households
have benefited from sanitation projects.
* Gautrain will create about 58 800 direct jobs and substantial indirect
income.
The meeting noted the need to measure GDS commitments and targets in line
with the current economic challenges and needs. Such a process may necessitate
a review of targets, the better to fast track implementation. The meeting
agreed that the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) will
initiate a process to conduct an evaluation.
Lastly, the meeting received a report of the latest Employment Equity Report
and noted the trends regarding the implementation of affirmative action in the
country.
For more information, please contact:
Mukoni Ratshitanga
Tel: 012 300 5436
Cell: 082 300 3447
Issued by: The Presidency
17 July 2007
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
