People Living With Disability to benefit from R300 million Provincial Economic Recovery Fund allocated by Provincial Treasury: Statement by the Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
Glencoe – Umzinyathi District Municipality: As the world observes the International Day of Persons with Disability, we wish announce that the Provincial Treasury will strengthen programmes aimed at ensuring that people living with disability have access to financial services.
In particular, during the event marking the International Day for Persons with Disability held at Glencoe Community Hall, I was informed about co-operatives and SMMEs owned by people living with disability that have been badly affected by COVID-19.
In this regard, we will ensure that such emerging enterprises benefit from the R300 million Provincial Economic Recovery Fund we allocated from the Second Budget Estimates.
We are determined to create an enabling environment to ensure that people living with disabilities feel that they are equal citizens who enjoy equal rights, and have access to economic opportunities.
In this province, there are approximately 544 013 people with disabilities. Men are approximately 286 140 and women - 257 873. We have a responsibility to ensure the financial wealth of this community.
As the custodian of Supply Chain Management system, I have implored officials in the department to ensure that all government departments and municipalities use the preferential procurement policy, and implement it within a set framework for the benefit of companies owned by people living with disability.
In addition, efforts will be strengthened to ensure that such enterprises benefit from infrastructure-led economic growth projects driven by government and the private sector. These are aimed at creating much needed jobs as part of turning around the situation following the outbreak of COVID-19.
We acknowledge and pay tribute to the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) following their decision to set aside 0, 5% of their budget for the benefit of co-operatives and SMMEs owned by people living with disability in Durban and Umsunduzi Local Municipality. This is specifically for the construction of roads between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
We are comforted by the fact that the entity has agreed to further negotiate with government to ensure an increase from 0, 5% of their budget for the benefit of entrepreneurs living with disability across the province.
For our part as Provincial Treasury, we will ensure that businesses owned by people living with disability are on the central suppliers’ database. This will enable them to do business with the government and all state entities.
We will also update our comprehensive list of companies owned by people living with disability and ensure that the list is made available to all government departments and the private sector.
Critically, we undertake to work with our own development finance institutions and private financial institutions to ensure an expansion of access to financial services. This is an exercise aimed at removing all barriers that limits people living with disability from being integrated into the main economy.
Enquiries:
Ndabezinhle Sibiya
082 375 4742
Nathi Olifant - 060 970 5113
