Talks between the government and business on ways to boost economic growth and reduce unemployment and poverty continued on Tuesday with a presidential Business Unity South Africa (Busa) working group meeting at Tuynhuys in Cape Town.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said the discussions were ongoing and Tuesday’s meeting was not intended to ”conclude anything”.
Rather, it was aimed at identifying issues on which government and business could work together to achieve higher growth and shared growth.
The government would elaborate on specific areas of cooperation in due course, and after similar consultations with labour, Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
Matters discussed included export-led growth, agricultural processing, and new entrants to the economy and their role in growth.
Busa president Patrice Motsepe called the meeting constructive, and said it was part of the ongoing discussions between government and business on practical and meaningful measures to speed up growth and investment.
Over the past ten years, good policies had been put in place, but some of these were ”just lying around”.
The ”root” of the discussions was to cut unemployment and poverty by half by 2014. A formal briefing on practical measures for working together would be held in due course, Motsepe said.
Mlambo-Ngcuka said there was a need for better implementation of policies and more efficient application and use of available resources and structures.
”So much is still work in progress,” she said.
There was also a need to support small and medium enterprises in the R10 000 to R250 000 category.
Millennium Labour Council chairperson Bobby Godsell said he disagreed with some economists who scoffed at a six percent growth rate being achievable.
Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa agreed with Godsell that six percent was not a pipe dream.
The government was trying to move the country to higher growth levels and was working towards six percent. While this might not be achieved in 2005, it could well be over a three-year period, he said.
The working group last met on August 3, 2004 as the black business working group, where it discussed the issue of South African business unity, progress made in implementing growth and development summit agreements, and black economic empowerment.
Similar to the other sector-based presidential working groups, such as those on women, the youth, and trade unions, the Busa working group’s mandate is to contribute to government’s efforts to eradicate poverty and bring an end to underdevelopment that has afflicted the African continent since colonial times.
President Thabo Mbeki led the government delegation, which included Mlambo-Ngcuka, and the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, trade and industry, agriculture, safety and security, public enterprises, public works, and minerals and energy.
A number of deputy ministers also attended.
Busa was represented by Motsepe, Godsell, black business executive circle director of Thami Mazwai, black business forum president Nolitha Fakude, national black business caucus director Danisa Baloyi, Anglo American CEO Lazarus Zim, and various other business leaders. – Sapa