The aim of the Economic Development Department is to promote economic development through participatory, coherent and coordinated economic policy and planning for the benefit of all South Africans. It will therefore: . co-ordinate the economic development contributions of government departments, state entities and civil society; . contribute to efforts that ensure coherence between the economic policies and plans of the state and state entities on the one hand, and the government's political and economic objectives and mandate on the other; and . promote government's ability to achieve its goals of advancing economic development with decent work opportunities.