Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members and the House at large, the strategic plan of the National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, for the period 2011-14 was tabled in March, and referred to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities for consideration and reporting on 1 June 2011. Prior to that, the committee had engaged with the NYDA, where a presentation on the plan was made. The mandate of the NYDA is derived from the National Youth Development Act, Act 54 of 2008. The Act provides for the establishment of the agency with specific objectives and outcomes aimed at improving livelihood opportunities for the youth. The National Youth Policy of 2009 supports the Act in its objectives.
Through its programmes and interventions, the NYDA aligns to key national strategies and priorities of government, the United Nations World Programme of Action on Youth and the African Charter. Most importantly, the NYDA would like to respond to the high levels of unemployment faced by young people in this country.
Here are some of the key medium-term priorities that have been outlined by the NYDA: national youth service and social cohesion aiming to facilitate skills development and training by engaging and involving young people in projects; economic participation aiming to support the youth to become entrepreneurs, run their businesses and create jobs through various programmes, such as business consultancy vouchers, company registration, funding and mentorship; and education, training and skills development aimed at assisting young people's preparedness to enter the labour market through a matric rewrite programme, business management and life skills development programme.
These are but a few of the key priorities, not to name all of them. In total, the NYDA has been allocated a budget of R1,2 billion for the period 2011-14.
The committee raised a number of concerns, which included duplications of the department's programmes; the more than 50% of the budget going to employees' compensation; the overall business model of the organisation, especially its loan offerings; and inconsistencies in the indicators.
After deliberation, the committee recommended that the NYDA should; pay more attention to young people living in the rural areas, especially young people with disabilities; focus on youth skills development through artisan training; speed up the implementation of the Integrated Youth Development Strategy; avoid duplicating what other government departments are doing; and avoid spending too much of its budget on employee compensation.
Having deliberated and made recommendations, the committee is tabling the report for adoption. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
House Chairperson, I move:
That the report be adopted. Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.