Sihlalo ohloniphekileyo, Mphathiswa weSebe lezeziMali, uBawo uGordhan, uSekela-Mphathiswa, umfo kaNene, sihlalo wekomiti ejongene nengxowa karhulumente kweli lizwe, umntwana kaMufamadi, isabhokhwe sale komiti, umfo kaVan Rooyen, malungu ahloniphekileyo ekomiti namalungu ale Ndlu, igosa eliyintloko nomlawuli weli sebe, umfo kaFuzile, amagosa onke ela sebe ngokukhokela kwawo, nazo zonke izihandiba, nani nonke ke ndlu emnyama kaPhalo, kaXhosa, nina nindlebe zimyama ngenxa yokuziphandela, ndiyanikhahlela ekuseni.
Ngenxa yokunqaba kweli xesha, mandinxibe ezi zixhobo zabantu abafundileyo, njengelungu lombutho wesizwe ekufuneka linike isikhokelo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Dr Z LUYENGE: Hon Chairperson, Minister of Finance, Mr Gordhan, Deputy Minister, Mr Nene, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, relating to the National Treasury, Mr Mufamadi, chief whip of this committee, Mr Van Rooyen, hon members of the committee and members of this august House, Director-General of this department, Mr Fuzile, all the members of the department, protocol observed, all the dignitaries, and all Africans at large, I greet you all this morning.
Just because we do not have enough time, let me wear the academic attire, as a member of the ANC which must give direction.]
One of the central challenges that face our economy in the midst of the current global economic environment is the ability of our economy to remain competitive. Our ability to ensure that we have long-term economic stability that will weather global economic booms and busts and ensure that we retain growth and development has led the ANC and its government to put in place a long-term plan to ensure both growth and job creation.
This plan is premised upon the following eight focus areas. Firstly, there is the ability to raise exports, focusing on those areas where we have a comparative advantage, such as mining, construction, mid-skill manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, tourism and business services.
Secondly, there is our ability to ensure a far closer working together with the private sector in those sectors consistent with a growth strategy.
Thirdly, it is to improve the functioning of the labour market so as to help the economy absorb more labour.
Fourthly, it is to support small business through better co-ordination activities in small business agencies and development finance institutions.
Fifthly to improve the skills base through better education and vocational training;
Sixthly to increase investment in social and economic infrastructure, raise productivity and bring more people into the mainstream of our economy;
Seventhly to reduce the regulatory burden in sectors where the private sector is the main investor, to achieve greater capacity and output, and
Lastly is to improve the capacity of the state to implement economic policy effectively and efficiently.
The economic drivers of this strategy are our infrastructure build programme and industrialisation through the Industrial Policy Action Plan. How we do this is premised upon the fact that we are creating a more labour- absorbing economy.
Therefore, we see that the restructuring of the economy must ensure broad measures that will result in a more competitive, productive and equitable economy overall. Amongst others, this will be by improving infrastructure and skills development; seeking to achieve a more competitive and stable currency; reducing unnecessary regulatory uncertainty and obstacles to investment; supporting small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, and the co-operatives movement; expanding skills development; and increasing industrial financing. For this to happen, the masses of our people must be mobilised regarding economic programmes through social interaction and acts of solidarity.
Our New Growth Path is confronting those sectors that are necessary for long-term growth and economic diversification, but are often not able to generate employment on a large scale. In this, our interventions are to diversify the economy so as to achieve our aims of both greater growth and job creation.
The past inequalities in education, training and experience continue to dog decisions into the future. While improving education and training will certainly support employment creation and equality, they are not sufficient in themselves, and in any case will not deliver soon enough for most of our people. Most workers today have some secondary education, although relatively few have university degrees. We need to expand production so that they can use their skills even as we develop systems to ensure all South Africans have opportunities for lifelong learning.
The Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission aims to develop a 10-year pipeline of priority infrastructure investments to ensure that public investment stays close to 10% over the coming years and to increase capacity for infrastructure development at local and provincial level.
Our economic transformation programme seeks to promote a geographically inclusive economy. This will require that infrastructure development should be rolled out in targeted areas in a phased manner, especially in the former Transkei, Bophuthatswana and Venda areas. We must optimise the investments that have already been made in the establishment of industrial development zones through special determinations relating to incentives, and access to adequate and affordable basic inputs, such as electricity and water.
The composition of expenditure should be changed in favour of infrastructure development. It is going to be difficult to finance infrastructure initiatives from the fiscus only. Thus, the question of funding infrastructure and appropriate pricing of infrastructure is key. It will be important for employment creation and for long-term economic growth prospects that infrastructure expenditure is clearly funded through a combination of fiscal allocations, borrowing and user fees. The ANC therefore has this to say. It is Adult Basic Education and Training, Abet, for mahala [for free], especially for the colleagues on my left. Let me make this clarion call to all of us under this roof, especially the member component on my left, that we should lead by example. We should make sure that we are hands-on in regard to launching a vanguard operation in the areas where we live. We should mobilise our people and make sure that the establishment of co-operatives is not their own matter. We must use our expertise and experience and the knowledge that we have in order to lead them, if it comes to the push.
We were members of the communities even before we came here, and we will remain as such. Let us not sit on the fence and carry red pens. We must be involved. Let us be there. It is only the ANC, and the President of the ANC, who always encourage community leaders, political leaders and everybody who is able to lead those communities at the local level to ensure that, even if it comes to the push, they lead those community-based organisations. Lead those co-operatives at the local level!
Singamane sisiza kujikeleza apha sisithi urhulumente we-ANC akenzanga nto. [Let us not come here and do nothing and blame the ANC-led government for not doing anything.]
We must understand that it is also biblical for all of us to behave like Moses, who had to wait for 40 years before his dreams were fulfilled. We must be responsible enough as members of this House to ensure that we are responsible, like the poet Rudyard Kipling says in his poem If:
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; ... you'll be a Man, my son!
Singakhombi kweliya icala sithi bekufanele ukuba kwenziwe oku. [Let us not point fingers at that side and say they should have done this and that.]
We are all earning money for being public representatives.
Masihlanganeni ke zinto zakuthi sise ilizwe loMzantsi Afrika phambili. Siyabulela nto ka-Gordhan ngokuthi esi sikhokelo sikaMsholozi usilandele ngokuqinisekisa ukuba ... [Let us work together and make South Africa a better place. We thank you, Mr Gordhan, for abiding by the President's leadership and making sure that ...]
... the resources are there. I thank you very much. [Applause.]