Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa bound his government on Monday to fulfilling all pre-election promises of democracy and prosperity.
”The Gauteng provincial government is ready to put shoulder to the wheel to realise our objective of a better life for all,” he said at the opening of the provincial legislature in Johannesburg.
The focus for the next five years will include faster economic growth, drastically reducing unemployment, fighting poverty, developing healthy, skilled and productive people, realising the constitutional rights of all people, and building an effective and caring government.
”We will not disappoint our people,” the premier said in a prepared speech. ”We will fulfil all the promises we made.”
Outlining the provincial government’s five-year plan, Shilowa emphasised the role of black economic empowerment (BEE) in economic growth.
”We are going to implement our affirmative procurement policy more vigorously,” he said.
BEE targets will be announced within six months for companies doing business with the provincial government. These will relate to ownership and control, human resource development and employment equity, and indirect empowerment.
”Through this process … we will encourage enterprises that provide goods and services to the provincial government to contribute to BEE,” the premier said.
”Our participation in public-private partnerships will also be informed by this approach.”
Shilowa said the growth of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) will be supported through business management training and easier access to finance and markets.
A Gauteng SMME portal will be established by November to provide business support and advice.
In the support of private enterprise, the film and television sector will receive special attention, Shilowa said.
”Together with key stakeholders in the sector we will develop a ‘film city’, which will include Hollywood-class sound stages. This will add further value to Gauteng’s world-class film infrastructure and promote Gauteng as a destination for international film production.”
The tourism sector will also be a focus, with a tourism indaba to be held next month.
Shilowa said plans are under way to turn Gauteng into an integrated, globally competitive urban region.
”We have started working with all the mayors in Gauteng to join in pooling resources to create the most powerful economic block on the continent, promoting Gauteng as a home for investment, tourism and business in general.” — Sapa