The 2013 State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) by His Excellency President J G Zuma outlined South Africa's programme of action which serves as the basis for the 2013 Budget tabled by the Minister of Finance, Mr P Gordhan. The President emphasised that the 2013 Programme of Action will be implemented differently as the activities of departments must be aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP). The NDP outlines the vision for the country for the next 20 years and contains proposals for tackling the problems of poverty, inequality and unemployment. It is the roadmap by which the country seeks to build a more equal society. The plan recognises emerging policy imperatives which have implications for planning and budgeting such as the rapid pace of urbanisation, the need for the economy to absorb the increasing number of the young unemployed and the imperative to improve the quality of education and expanding training opportunities.