CAPE TOWN– Deputy President David Mabuza says the upcoming jobs summit will ensure that South Africa continues to address the country’s poverty and income inequality.
Responding to oral questions in the National Assembly here Wednesday, he said: The summit will elevate the efforts focused on inclusive growth and correcting the issue of wage differentials. Further to this summit and the investment conference, we will continue to embark on a drive to attract investment into our economy.”
Mabuza said the government was on track to creating six million jobs by 2019. In the first five years of the implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), or the period between 2004 and 2009, a target of one million work opportunities was set in the infrastructure, environment, social and economic sectors.
This target was exceeded with a total of 1.6 million job opportunities being created by 2009. Further up-scaling of the EPWP has resulted in more than three million work opportunities being created between 2009 and the end of March 2013. We are currently on track in achieving our target for the third phase of the EPWP (2014-2019), he said.
The Deputy President added that meanwhile the redistribution of assets has been an important component of the country’s approach to addressing poverty and inequality. Key among these is land reform, which is at the heart of addressing inequality, poverty and restoration of dignity in the country.
Government realises that the National Minimum Wage Bill is one of the greatest contributors to poverty alleviation and reduction of income inequality. We have also introduced various government incentives to support entrepreneurship under the Department of Small Business Development,” he said.
The most sustainable way to address the challenge of poverty and inequality, he added, was by industrializing economy in order to enhance greater levels of participation by historically economically disadvantaged citizens and marginalized regions of the country.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK