President Jacob Zuma has established an Inter-Ministerial Committee to improve support and assistance to investors wishing to take advantage of the vast investment opportunities in the country.
During the State of the Nation Address of 12th February 2015, President Zuma announced a Nine Point Plan to ignite growth and development. He also announced the establishment of an inter-governmental clearing house to support investors. This followed requests to government by investors who have called for a reduction of red tape and bottlenecks and for government to make South Africa more investor-friendly.
Most potential investors complain about the time they have to spend visiting different government departments and institutions to fulfil regulatory requirements and the need to simplify the regulatory framework, among others.
In the last Presidential Business Working Group meeting on Friday, 07 August 2015, the President announced an InvestSA approach and the One Stop Shop (OSS) concept, and work has begun towards the establishment of the critical service. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, has created a division at the DTI to focus on investment promotion, facilitation and aftercare. Minister Davies is also adding capacity to the facilitation and aftercare unit to create a Clearing House and to roll out One Stop Shops in all Provinces. Investors are encouraged to contact the DTI for the pilot service.
The fully-fledged InvestSA service and One Stop Shop will be launched later this year.
The One Stop Shop concept requires support from all government departments. The President has thus decided to expand the current Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Bilateral Investment Treaties to include a focus on South Africa's investment climate across all areas of government in a coordinated and cohesive manner.
This reconfigured IMC on Investment will be chaired by President Zuma, assisted by the Minister of Trade and Industry.
It will focus on:
1. Overall coordination, alignment and policy coherence on economic policy, regulatory, framework, thereby providing clarity and certainty to investment.
2. Improvement in South Africa's investment climate in particular the ease of doing business and competitiveness of South Africa.
3. Coordination and roll out of the One Stop Service across all levels in government. The One Stop Service will fast track, unblock and reduce red tape in government. All government departments in the three spheres of Government need to commit to a continuous improvement and service delivery.
4. Overall coordination and alignment in terms of South Africa's marketing, communication, and media in terms of our messaging of South Africa as an investment destination both locally and abroad.
5. Scaling up private sector investment, higher impact Industrial Policy Action Plan, support for the black industrialist program, SME development and the Township Economy.
6. Identification, packaging and implementing investment projects in terms of national interest and economic development.
7. Promoting regional integration and industrialisation of the African Continent.
8. Promoting cooperation and partnerships between government and the private sector.
9. Coordinate inputs into the task teams of the Presidential Big Business Working Group and the new Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment commission.
The IMC will be open to inputs from the business community and other sectors as it works to create the new investment agency. It will also interface with the President's Coordinating Council, which brings together national government, Premiers and local government.
The members of the IMC comprise the following:
Minister of Trade and Industry
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Minister of Economic Development
Minister of Energy
Minister of Environmental Affairs
Minister of Finance
Minister of Health
Minister of Home Affairs
Minister of Labour
Minister of Mineral Resources
Minister of Public Enterprises
Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform
Minister of Science and Technology
Minister of Water and Sanitation
Minister of Small Business Development
The President will lead a South African delegation of government and business to the World Economic Forum in Davos on 20-23 January 2016, where Team SA will promote South Africa as preferred investment destination.
Enquiries:
Bongani Majola
Cell: 082 339 1993
E-mail: bonganim@presidency.gov.za
Sidwell Medupe
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: msmedupe@thedti.gov.za
