Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Free State Legislature,
Honourable Premier,
Honourable Members of the Free State Legislature,
Leaders of different political parties,
Mayors and Speakers of different municipalities,
Chairpersons, Board Members and Chief Executive Officers of Public Entities,
Members of State Institutions supporting democracy,
Director-General and Heads of Department,
Members of the Traditional House
Mme Motswadi
Bomme le Bontate
Baqolotsi ba Ditaba
Madam Speaker, we appreciate the opportunity to table before this house the Policy Statement for the Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. This policy statement will allow us to execute our mandate “To improve the socio-economic livelihoods of Free State communities through economic,small business, tourism and environmental development programmes and our vision of a transformed economy and a prosperous society that is living in harmony with its natural resources through integrated and sustainable economic growth”.
Somlomo kulonyaka ophezulu sigubha iminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye yenkululeko. Sesihambe ibanga elide ekwenzeni ngcono izimplilo zabantu bakithi, ukubuyisa isithunzi sabo, ukulwa nobumpofu, ukungalingani kanye noku ntuleka kwemisebenzi. Sithi ku Sizwe sakithi esimpisholo , leminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye ingcono kakhulu kune minyaka engamakhulu amathathu yobandlululo, yengcindezelo nobugqila kubantu abaningi begqilazwa yidlanzana
nje.
Die regering het die jaar 2015 as die “Jaar van die Vryheidsmanifes en Eenheid in aksie om ekonomiese vryheid te bevorder” verklaar.
Dit is die jaar om ‘n bykomende myl te loop vir die bou van ‘n verenigde, demokratiese, nie-rasistiese, nie-seksistiese en voorspoedige Suid Afrika.
Dit is ook belangrik om te herken dat die ter tafellegging van hierdie begrotingsrede aan die agbare huis plaasvind drie dae na die viering van Menseregtedag op 21 Maart 2015.
Hierdie Nasionale Dag herhinder ons aan die opofferings wat gemaak is in die stryd vir demokrasie en vryheid gedurende die laasteeen en twintig jare.
Die tema vir die jaar is die“Viering van die Vryheidsmanifes, Gelykheid, en Menseregte vir almal”.
In the same celebratory mood, as we table this statement today, we are Happy people. We are happy because four days ago on the 20th March, the World celebrated the International Day of Happiness. This day was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 June 2012. This day recognizes the relevance of happiness and wellbeing as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings. Our Programme of Action is intended to evoke emotion of happiness from our people-the Happy People!!!
Our programmes for this financial year will take cue from the ANC Manifesto and the President’s vision of this country’s economic growth as outlined in the State of the Nation Address 2015. President Zuma put down 9 points that will ignite growth and create jobs. These are:
- Resolving the energy challenge.
- Revital izing agriculture and the agro-processing value chain.
- Advancing beneficiation or adding value to our mineral wealth.
- More effective implementation of a higher impact Industrial Policy Action Plan.
- Encouraging private sector investment.
- Moderating workplace conflict.
- Unlocking the potential of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), cooperatives, township and rural enterprises.
- State reform and boosting the role of state owned companies, information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure or broadband roll-out, water, sanitation and transport infrastructure,as well as,
- Operation Phakisa aimed growing the ocean economy and other sectors.
Economic outlook
Honourable Speaker, research by Stats SA indicates to us that the biggest contributor to the provincial economy in 2014 is Government Services with a contribution of 14.7% followed by the finance sector at 14.2%. Mining recorded a contribution of 13.3%. The manufacturing sector’s cont ribution was 8.5%, which was mostly attributed to the activities linked to the chemicals sub-sector in Sasolburg. The agricultural sector contributed 4.3%.
Despite the economic challenges experienced by the Province, 26 000 new job opportunities were created, through direct intervention of the government and partnership with then private sector.
Global data providers project that the Free State economy is to record a growth of 1.5 percent during 2015, and thus to increase in momentum over the years ahead to peak in 2017, at 2.6 %.
