Chairperson, Minister Davies and other Ministers present, Deputy Ministers, MECs present, Members of Parliament, officials of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Council of Trade and Industry Institutions, leaders of organised business - Business Unity SA, the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry - and labour, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, this Budget Vote takes place at a time when the ANC-led government is consolidating its character as a democratic developmental state. The promulgation of a number of instruments, such as the New Growth Path, the Industrial Policy Action Plan, the new Companies Act - as the Minister has alluded to - the companies commission and the establishment of the National Consumer Commission, are key in that they talk to a developmental state. These developments usher in an age in which the government is making strategic interventions in strategic sectors of the economy to stimulate economic development and growth.
It is imperative to comprehend that policy instruments such as the New Growth Path are driven by the quest to ensure increased economic redistribution. And, as such, we believe that the New Growth Path calls for extensive government support for social economy initiatives, which include building a stronger co-operative support agency, something the Minister also touched on. In responding to this call, we are now in the process of finalising a process that will ensure that the introduction of the co- operatives academy, the co-operatives tribunal and the co-operatives agency will be in place. This illustrates the coherent nature of the work of this government in responding to the needs of the people of South Africa.
These interventions are directed at ensuring that the country has an effective and efficient institutional mechanism to support the social economy initiatives, thus ensuring focused investment in social capital.
This year has been declared the year of job creation by the President of the country. It is for this reason that we have deployed all tools available in the Department of Trade and Industry. We all know that the budget is a tool that we use to implement policy, and the ANC-led government is doing well in terms this.
In this regard, I want to emphasise the pivotal role and the potential of the small business sector in job creation and what we are doing to increase support for SMMEs and co-operatives. There is an even greater role for the co-operatives movement in job creation, as these foster a sense of collective social enterprise.
Our view is that the co-operatives are not just about the bottom line, but also about strengthening ties of community social networks which are critical to building societal capital. I must say that we promote ownership, but that we are also talking to the question of fronting. Our belief is that fronting is already happening, hon MacKenzie. We are trying by all means possible to make sure that this cannot be accelerated and that it is curbed. Nevertheless, your points were quite good and we will be able to take them forward.
As we talk about this co-operatives movement, we would also like to say that we acknowledge the Community Public-Private Partnership Programme, led by CEO Hlonela Lupuwana of Seda, the Small Enterprise Development Agency, and her team. The Community Public-Private Partnership Programme focuses on ensuring that the co-operatives can work. In this case we don't talk theory; we talk practice.
In our midst we have people from two co-operatives that we have launched. In Tzaneen, a far-flung rural place in Limpopo, there is the Tours Co- operative, which is doing well with a Peppadew project. They are here with us today. [Applause.] In Mpumalanga, the Insimi Yami Youth Co-operative from Schagen illustrates our deliberate focus to leverage the labour- absorptive capacity that lies in the primary sector. As such the co- operatives we launched in these two provinces were both in the agricultural sector in line with talking to consumption in that they are exceeding our production. We hope that they will be supported.
One of the tools we utilise to ensure that we build a partnership with other formations is "Taking the Department of Trade and Industry to the People". This programme talks to a lot of people who need to know what the Department of Trade and Industry is all about.
I would be failing in my duties if I did not talk about strategic interventions in terms of women's economic empowerment. As the DTI we have been utilising tools such as the SA Women Entrepreneurs' Network, the Isivande Women's Fund, Bavumile and Technology for Women in Business, or Twib. Over and above this, we have also recognised women who use different forms of technology in their business through the Twib Awards.
In addition to this, we are currently investing in building technology capacity in young girls through the Techno Girls programme. Also in our midst are young female learners from the Ratshisase Secondary School in Limpopo, which is in a deep rural area. They are the winners of this year's Twib Awards. Hence, they are here today to observe the Budget Vote debate. [Applause.]
The Techno Girls programme was born out of a need to build innovative production and business methods. I hope you have time to listen to them and hear what they think about future businesswomen. Also, we would like to say that all this is happening because we have a coherent system that our Minister uses to lead this department. Minister, go ahead; we must be ambitious in any way we can be, because if we are not ambitious, we will not achieve our objectives. The DA always says: Let's keep up the good work. You are running this department superbly, and we are there to support you. [Applause.]
The small business sector and the co-operatives movement have a responsibility to help us transform the social and economic engineering of apartheid. Through our current programmes the different incentives assist the small business sector. China is a giant today because it was built on the small business sector, and South Korea managed to deal with its challenges owing to the small business sector. We are on the right track. We have done a lot in terms of changing all the systems we had. These are working, Minister. Let's just accelerate them and go on with all the good work you are doing. Don't listen to commentators that tell you stories. We don't talk stories; we talk practice, and we make sure that we go to the people. [Applause.]
Allow me to thank the members of Sawen, the SA Women Entrepreneurs' Network - some of them are here - and the Sawen board. These are women who sacrificed their time to come to work with us. [Applause.] We don't pay them, but they believe in the partnership and volunteer their services to mentor other women who go into business. We agree with you that when you empower a woman, you empower the nation. [Applause.]
I also thank the provincial committees of Sawen and the Technology for Women in Business adjudicators - they are sitting amongst us here - and the Techno Girls adjudicators and I thank, of course, the team in the Ministry because we are really working and making sure that we create five million jobs by 2020. Also, I say to the vibrant chair of the committee and to all the members: Let's work together. We can create the five million jobs, because the ANC will indeed make sure that we deal with all our challenges.
One must remember that not everybody can be a businessperson. We are talking of people here who are my age. They would remember that Jan van Riebeeck landed in Cape Town on 6 April 1652 with the ships the Drommedaris, the Reijger, and the Goede Hoop. A businessperson doesn't need the Goede Hoop or the Drommedaris; he or she needs a business plan. [Laughter.] He or she needs to have a marketing strategy for his or her business. We are working on that and doing a very good job. It is not our past - 17 years cannot have a stable economy.
Many G8 countries are successful today although it took time to recover from the World Wars - 30 or 40 years - but 17 years is enough. We say: Support this Budget Vote if you want to see development and to see underdevelopment addressed, and this ANC-led government is doing exactly that. [Applause.] So, Minister, just ride on and make sure that we can deal with all these challenges. [Applause.]
This government is doing so much in terms of procurement. We are changing and reviewing, because these were the architects of apartheid. We make sure that this can talk to the people and that we don't just have good, nice, big English-talking ... People say that we are hostile for investors; I don't think so. Business Day is not talking the language of our people; it is talking the language of business. It is so unfair; it is biased.
This department is dealing with all trade missions - trade initiatives that we are leading - and these are helping. People who are in the second economy are gaining momentum and getting a lot. So please, Minister, carry on and implement this policy. I and the Deputy Minister will make sure that you succeed in your service-level agreement and that the outcomes are realised even before the time, because that is exactly why we are here. I thank you. [Applause.]