Speaker, to the Deputy President, the ACDP believes that, in view of the high unemployment rate, as part of a wide employment plan, public employment can, to a certain limited degree, compliment private sector employment. However,
and this is a response to the first question, policy makers agree that thriving SMMEs are a key to job creation in the country.
The NDP, as indicated earlier, predicts 11 million new jobs or needed by 2030, 90% by SMMEs. A key finding in the EPWP phase three review was that partnership should be strengthened with the private sector and it was alluded to in an earlier question and you answered on how that can be strengthened.
Deputy President, would you give us an indication that one of the problems with SMMEs is access to funding? Would you agree that if there is greater funding for SMMEs they will be able to partner with the EPWP phases and create more jobs? Is that something that government will be looking into considering that SMEs are the greatest job creation mechanisms? Thank you.