Programme director
The leadership and representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China and its various agencies
The representatives of governments of various countries present
Our host, the World Coal-to-Liquid Association
The advisory board, organisers and sponsors of this conference
The representatives of business, academic institutions, World Coal-to-Liquid Institute and other research institutions here preset
Our friends from various media institutions
Ladies and gentlemen
On behalf of the Republic of South Africa, we count a rare honour and privilege on our part to be invited to this important occasion. To this conference, we bring with us fraternal greetings from the people and the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Jacob Zuma.
As Limpopo, we have joined the rest of the world in this important conference to share and learn from the experts and investors about the development of coal-to-liquid technology and new forms of beneficiation opportunities.
Humanity throughout the world, particularly in the developing economies, is confronted by the challenge of insufficient access to energy. The current environmental concerns around fossil fuels including coal, particularly where these coal deposits may be sterilised, is another cause for great concern. It is in this context that this conference could not have come at the right time.
Programme director,
South Africa as a developing economy is strategically positioned and heavily endowed with coal deposits, placing it amongst the top countries of the world with the largest coal deposits. Limpopo having a major share of these coal deposits in our country is ready to be utilised for the development, eradication of poverty, access to energy, including electricity and to take South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the African continent to a more diversified trajectory of economic growth and development.
In our province, we have just reviewed and developed the Limpopo employment growth and development plan. This economic plan identifies the need for a downstream beneficiation of coal and diversification as one of the strategic economic growth points and an answer to the skyrocketing energy demand.
It is against this background that this world conference presents a unique opportunity for the people of South Africa and Limpopo province to forge and enhance a global alliance for a win-win partnership.
Programme director,
In the recent past many of you would have noted a raging debate in our country on the role of state in the mining industry. The debate was triggered by a proposal from some quarters of the South African community for a need to nationalise the mines. This did not come as a surprise, for South Africa is a constitutional democracy characterised by continuous and robust debates on policy and anything affecting the daily lives of the people.
We would, however, like to take this opportunity to reassure our investors and potential investors, that the South African government has never reviewed its policy position on mining, nor does it have any intention to nationalise the industry in the near future.
You are therefore welcome and urged to invest more resources in our economy to help create a sustainable growth path that would not only benefit South Africans but the rest of the people of the world.
Lastly, programme director and esteemed guests,
We call upon all of us to leave this conference with a renewed sense of commitment and loyalty to the resolution of energy problems afflicting humanity today. We should also seize the opportunities presented by new forms of coal beneficiation and coal-to-liquid development to take our economies to a higher trajectory.
I would also like to invite you to join me in toasting for the global partnership in the:
* continued efforts for the development and commercialisation of technologies
* continued investment in innovation, research and development
* continued optimisation as we challenge the high capital expenditure, and finally
* a warm and hearty global welcome to Limpopo as we invite you in our green field investments.
The people of the world have come this far working together and united in action we can do more for ourselves and many more generations to come.
Thank you.
Issued by: Limpopo Provincial Government
14 April 2010
Source: Limpopo Provincial Government (http://www.limpopo.gov.za/)
