Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, as well as my colleagues, hon members, at our 52nd ANC National Conference we resolved that, and I quote:
The building of small and micro enterprises is also a critical developmental challenge, which requires the state to deploy resources to build capacity and institutions. The mobilisation of small businesses into co-operative organisations is a critical part of the solutions to this challenge. So is the education of our people in entrepreneurial skills, the provision of financial support and training to small businesses. At the same time we should ensure that fundamental worker rights are protected in small enterprise.
The ANC's medium-term economic policy strategy continues to be driven by the New Growth Path, an economic policy strategy designed to shift the trajectory of economic development through identifying drivers of job creation.
Hon Harris, whilst you were planning and being obsessed with the march to Luthuli House, committed members of this committee found revelations in these three Bills. The first revelation we found is that they support small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, and they also support our broad- based black economic empowerment, BBBEE. The Bills further align themselves with the shift in focus of SMMEs and BBBEE policies to the development of entrepreneurs providing productive inputs into the real economy rather than shareholder transactions. The Bills align themselves with the building of co-operative institutions and other forms of social ownership.
The Customs Control Bill, as an example, hon Harris, is flexible in that it caters for measures to support SMMEs. In this regard the commissioner is empowered to prescribe licensing requirements that could include requirements responsive to the size or turnover of a particular business.
The application fees for advanced rulings will be lower for small businesses in order to facilitate compliance and also to encourage the participation of small businesses in the processing of goods.
The Bills allow for a conducive environment whereby SMMEs can grow. They provide for exemption from the licensing of premises where subcontracted processing is carried out, if the annual business turnover of those premises does not exceed a prescribed amount.
The Bills allow for a simplified registration process available to small businesses.
The Bills will promote exports and business competitiveness, boosting local manufacturing and helping small businesses to grow.
Practically, these Bills will feed into the economic success and sustenance of our real economy. They will provide an anchor for increased participation of small business in the mainstream economy.
Small businesses, as we are all aware, are a driving force for economic growth and development. Their dynamism and ability to innovate assist in creating much-needed jobs in our economy. Besides creating employment, they also help diversify economic activity and make a significant contribution to exports and trade.
Small businesses are a vehicle to ensure economic inclusivity and increased participation by South Africans in the mainstream economy. There has been acceleration in the delivery and upscaling of support, particularly to black-owned, rural and township small businesses, as well as co-operative progress.
The continued monitoring of the business environment and undertaking regulatory reviews to ensure sustainable small business development will also be a key focus.
Support services addressing the challenges faced by black and women entrepreneurs is another key area of focus in broadening economic inclusion and promoting transformation in the economy.
It is the people's government, the ANC government, that has continued to build entrepreneurial capacity in order to address the socioeconomic challenges that are facing our people. We in the ANC have been resolute in increasing the uptake of small businesses, as their dynamism and ability to innovate will assist us in creating the much needed jobs in our economy.
In conclusion, the three Customs Bills before this House today, I argue, will go a long way in assisting the small business sector to play an increasingly important role as an engine for economic growth and provide opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those who are unemployed.
The ANC supports these Bills. Ke a leboga. [I thank you.]