Deputy Speaker, the ANC supports the Budget Review Recommendations, BRR, Report of the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development.
The department and its entities' overall performance was good as it achieved the majority of its indicators and attained unqualified audit opinion with few areas of improvement.
The portfolio committee has taken counsel from the AG to assist the department to assist on areas of underachievement; most of which have been largely attributed to vacancy rates in the higher echelons of the department.
While the two agencies, Small Enterprise Finance Agency, Sefa and Seda performed extremely well and went on to achieve unqualified clean audits.
We noted in concern the high mortality levels in small enterprises especially cooperative enterprises.
The portfolio committee is working with the department in identifying key bottlenecks such as bureaucratic red tape, challenges to access of finance and markets as well as infrastructure impediments.
The portfolio committee and the department will continue with partnerships with the private and public sector with the view to dealing with these challenges.
This BRR Report comes at a time when our unemployment rate is unacceptable at 29,1%.
We know that small business is everybody's business and so as the ANC that is in government, we will review the procurement models and framework to address the development needs and also to look at endued ease with doing business and government efficiency and accountability.
In line with the President's emphasis in the state of the nation address, government is committed to increasing local demand amongst other things, increase proportion of local goods and services procured by government [Time expire.] The ANC supports this BRRR. Thank you.