One of the key focuses of the State of the Nation Address was the role that IDC had to play in terms of providing relief or assistance to companies in distress. However, there was little focus or information provided to the Committee in this regard. In the Committee's opinion, the IDC is a critical player in the implementation of the country's industrial mandate. It should be viewed as a catalyst to stimulate industrial development and should play a more active role in job creation. The Committee is of the view that the IDC should be at the forefront of industrial development by providing the necessary financial support but should not operate using the narrow lending criteria of a bank. The business model of self-financing does not lend itself to this mandate and prohibits the IDC's ability to invest in major industrialisation projects. The Committee therefore needs to introduce the debate on the issue of self-financing versus government funded recapitalisation to ensure that the IDC operates optimally.