Deputy Speaker, I think you actually have a point. There is a question later on about manufacturing and so on, to which that follow-up question is more appropriate. The point is this. Our conclusion is that the global crisis does not mean that we need to stop trying to industrialise our country. In fact, it means that we have to accelerate our efforts to industrialise the country. We also need to accelerate our efforts to ensure that SMMEs emerge as productive players in the economy and are able to work in symbiotic relations with big manufacturing companies, and so forth. That is exactly what we are trying to focus and refocus our SMME support programme on. Thank you.
Departmental assistance to SMMEs and black-owned enterprises
316. Mr N E Gcwabaza (ANC) asked the Minister of Economic Development:
How will his department assist (a) SMMEs and (b) black-owned enterprises to benefit from the implementation of the infrastructure programme?