Hon Chairperson, hon Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters, MECs of transport, the chairperson and members of the Portfolio Committee on Transport, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, in his 2014 state of the nation address, His Excellency President J G Zuma mandated the nation to embark on radical socioeconomic transformation to address the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
Indeed, as the Reconstruction and Development Programme of 1994 purports:
No political democracy can survive and flourish if the masses of our people remain in poverty without land, without tangible prospects for a better life. Attacking poverty and deprivation must therefore be the first priority of a democratic government.
Let it be said that we have vigorously commenced implementing concise skills development plans, advancing safety and security, and promoting transformation and women and youth empowerment in the transport sector. The Department of Transport, together with its maritime entities, the SA Maritime Safety Authority and the Ports Regulator of South Africa, through the 2013-14 Year of Maritime, are implementing strategic activities that support and facilitate the positioning of South Africa as a world-class maritime nation.
Our radical maritime programme, as cited in the state of the nation address, is envisaged to contribute between R129 billion and R177 billion and would create between 800 000 to one million jobs by 2033. This gives further impetus to our National Development Plan, which aims to increase competitiveness and export earnings through better infrastructure and public/private sector services, lowering the cost of doing business, improving skills and innovation, as well as targeting state support to specific sectors.
It is a historical record that team transport is part of the first team in Operation Phakisa for focusing on unearthing the maritime industry radical development potentials. [Applause.] We envision a South Africa that will be a leading and highly competent maritime nation. In this regard we are creating an enabling legislative and policy environment that will enhance our adaptability to the envisaged radical growth as we embark on a broader maritime blue ocean economy. Evidence to this is the draft Maritime Transport Policy, the processing of which we are fast-tracking, as stated here by the Minister of Transport.
In efforts to the enhance safety and security of our shores, we have budgeted R150 million to the maritime and aeronautical search and rescue regulations programmes. Budget allocation of R262 million will be used to enhance the level of governance, sustainable environmental protection and the safety and security of our territorial waters.
We have focused attention on improving maritime safety standards and the norms and culture of safe maritime practices. Since 2013-14 and over a period of 10 years we will enrol a substantial number of students at various tertiary institutions nationally and abroad. This will be complemented by the continuous implementation of the national cadetship programme, which is a feeder to the maritime industry. This endeavour is in line with Vision 2030, which seeks an expanded skills base through better education and vocational training.
In this financial year the Department of Transport, in partnership with its sister departments, will launch the national maritime education and skills initiative and the national maritime job scheme. We are finalising the process of appointing the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council and adopting an implementation plan of action in support of the President's call for radical economic transformation.
Regarding research, through the expertise of the SA Maritime Safety Authority, Samsa, and our maritime branch, we have committed to providing technical support for the launch of the maritime research and innovation roadmap, led by the Department of Science and Technology. An allocation of R64 million has been apportioned to advance maritime industry development interests. It is this Ministry's conviction that our maritime economic wealth will radically transform and elevate South Africa's economic trajectory.
Aviation is a critical catalyst for global economic development and it is estimated to account for R74 billion of South Africa's gross domestic product. Aviation supports about 230 000 jobs, according to an International Air Transport Association, Iata, 2013 press release. The Department of Transport will continue to represent South Africa and Africa's interests at the International Civil Aviation Organisation. On 26 September 2013 our country was successfully re-elected to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, thus reaffirming South Africa's position in the international aviation arena. [Applause.]
In fact, it is our intention to deploy officials in all strategic regional, continental and international organisations to promote South Africa and Africa's interest in aviation. Safety remains a priority and is a strategic imperative in aviation. To date we have established an independent aviation accident investigation body and have allocated R17,9 million to advance and maintain our renowned aviation safety record.
At the beginning of February this year the SA Civil Aviation Authority developed and introduced its cross-functional accident reduction plan. The plan aims to reduce accidents in the general aviation sector in a co- ordinated manner.
On skills development and transformation, the SA Civil Aviation Authority has concluded agreements with the Universities of Walter Sisulu, Wits and Pretoria in order to roll out aviation medical training and thus contribute to transformation. This will commence during this financial year.
In 2014-15 the Air Traffic Navigation Services will implement a performance- based navigation system programme aimed at further upgrading operational efficacy. On 8 August this year we will host a second aviation industry transformation roundtable, which provides a platform for generating practical solutions geared to address the lethargic pace of transformation in the aviation industry.
The state of readiness of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency, RTIA, for the national roll-out programme of Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences, Aarto, is in the final phase. To date, a detailed Aarto readiness checklist has been developed and provided to the provinces and metros. Two critical issues were identified that needed finality before commencement of the Aarto roll-out: Firstly, the national contravention register had to be fully developed in support of all the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act requirements; and secondly, funding availability had to be ensured for the RTIA to satisfy all its obligations in terms of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act.
The increasing rail incidents in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape provinces have been noted with great concern. These are as a consequence of many factors, including poor spatial planning and underinvestment in rail by the apartheid regime. The urban Integrated Development Framework and the National Transport Master Plan are critical instruments and will be responsive to these challenges. Moreover, the Rail Safety Regulator has also finalised and commenced the roll out of level crossing rail safety standards. To address criminal activities that continue to engulf rail transport, our rail safety regulator has developed a framework to align their incident reporting system with the SA Police Service case reporting system.
The introduction of progressive legislation and policy framework post-1994 by the ANC-led government seeks to have 50% women representation as per the ruling party's manifesto and resolutions. In the predominantly male- dominated transport sector, we have made significant strides to emancipate women, youth and people living with disabilities to actively participate in all sociopolitical and economic development programmes. More, however, still needs to be done. [Applause.]
I am proud to announce that on 1 December 2013 the Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters, appointed the first black female director of the SA Civil Aviation Authority. [Applause.] She is in charge of regulating the civil aviation environment for our country. As the Department of Transport we have met and now intend to exceed the 2% employment target set for people living with disabilities. Over the next five years we will develop and implement the human resource development strategy of the transport sector as a whole.
Regarding gender equity, at present our statistics show a 38,28% women and slightly more than 61,74% men representation at executive level and 44,54% women and 55,4% men at all levels. Our target is to achieve a deserving capacitated 50-50 parity and we are going there. [Applause.] The SA Women in Transport Summit and its subsector organs, like Women in Rail, Women in Maritime and Women in Road Construction, have been active instruments and drivers spearheading women's economic development.
From Women in Rail, 19 women-owned entities have benefited from a R293 million project under the rail national station improvement programme and we need to accelerate the projects implementation in this regard. Hon members, we do have a good story to tell. [Applause.] In 2013-14 we invested over R100 million on a groundbreaking skills development programme. Multiple training interventions were delivered and targeted the youth and women, enabling them to take advantage of the potential thousands of job opportunities in the global maritime sector. Ninety-three young unemployed engineering graduates were given the opportunity to convert from mechanical engineering to marine engineering.
In 2013-14 the Air Traffic and Navigation Services, ATNS, trained a total of 773 internal students, at a pass rate of 93%, within the air traffic services and engineering disciplines, of which 42% were females. [Applause.] Concurrently 815 external students from across African states were trained at a pass rate of 100% by our ATNS academy.
The Aviation Training Academy was again awarded for being the IATA regional training provider of the year for the second successive year. The Air Traffic Navigation Services, through its deployment of leading technology, regulating 10% of the world airspace has achieved world-class safety levels at the air traffic management community. It is a good story.
The European Union and the United States of America has given the SA National Cargo Security Programme full recognition. This recognition positions South Africa on the green list of only 30 countries in the world and the only one in Africa that has various benefits, including second exemptions. This boosts investor confidence and creates business development opportunities, because South African carriers will accrue trade and economic benefits given that they will be exempted from paying validation fees.
In conclusion, as a nation and the Department of Transport at work, led by the Minister, our programmes will always seek to create an economy that is inclusive, equitable and fast-growing; achieved through growing employment, supporting productivity, improving efficiency and moving towards greater equality. God bless South Africa. Thank you. [Time expired.]