Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet on Monday, 18 February 2013 officially opened a two-day Executive Council Lekgotla at the Regent Hotel in East London. She called for the review of the Fiscal and Finance Commission formula used for allocating budgets to provinces while also urging the provincial leadership to prudently use of the meager resources at its disposal.
Premier Kiviet welcomed the pronouncements of the President saying: “our Province stands to benefit from government’s continued focus on, amongst others, fighting the scourge of poverty and unemployment; provision of quality education; and infrastructure development.”
She welcomed the findings of Stats South Africa and the report of the South African Institute of Race Relations which acknowledged progress made in improving people’s quality of life and raised challenges of significant outward migration of the people as a challenge. She urged Members of the Executive Council, Executive Mayors, Heads of Provincial Government Departments and Municipal Managers to close ranks and accelerate the implementation of government programmes aimed at improving people’s lives.
Premier Kiviet said during the remaining period of the fourth term of government the Executive Council and Executive Mayors should focus on strengthening “the management of departments and municipalities, quicker and smarter implementation of government programmes and a more robust communication and profiling of government achievements”.
The annual pre-State of the Province Address Executive Council indaba is expected to take stock of progress made in executing the 2012-13 financial-year Programme of Action of the provincial government and also deliberate on Government plans for the 2013/14 financial year.
The session builds on a framework outlined by the National Cabinet Lekgotla and the State of the Nation Address of President Jacob Zuma and will also share information on performance of government and the Programme of Action for the last year of the fourth democratic government in the Eastern Cape. The collective views of the provincial leadership are expected to be reflected in Premier Noxolo Kiviet’s fifth State of the Province Address scheduled for delivery on 22 February 2013 in Bhisho.
The Premier's State of the Province Address will be published across numerous communication platforms that include public service radio stations including SAFM, Umhlobo Wenene, Tru FM, 12 community radio stations in the Eastern Cape, DSTV Parliamentary Channel and to nine Public Viewing Areas in district and metropolitan municipalities.
Enquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Tel: 040 609 6015
Cell: 083 626 0304
E-mail: manelisi.wolela@otp.ecprov.gov.za
