Centralising procurement is not a solution, because it will just increase the red tape and centralise corruption. The Presidential Hotline management is in such a poor state that no area can vouch for the assistance granted to it due to this hotline.
Turnaround times have to be as quick as possible in response to the outcry of our people that we need to serve everyday. This can only be realised when the budget allocated is used exactly for the intended purpose and to improve the system.
We are, however, not shocked, because the only thing this government is excellent at is shifting goal posts and always postponing meetings and their own set targets to distant dates, just as they are saying now that our problems will be solved by 2030. [Interjections.]
The most important thing which this government should prioritise is industrial policy, because it is only the development of the productive forces that will decisively deal with the crisis of unemployment and poverty.
As things stand, there are many economic policies and industrial policy departments and instruments which are not centrally co-ordinated. They all exist in silos when there is a National Planning Commission, NPC, which is supposed to co-ordinate all the work done by the various departments.
The National Youth Development Agency, NYDA is a project gone wrong. It has failed the young people of South Africa, especially the core of their constituency. [Interjections.] Even in the current allocation from the NYDA, rural youth receive less than a R250 000 allocation in the proposed budget, but individuals are allocated R10 million; the reason for such a share of the allocation is not stipulated.
As has happened before, the NYDA will be praised by the Deputy Minister, because it is now led by the Young Communist League, YCL, and its employees have relations. [Interjections.] This department should make sure that the budget funds are allocated to actual youth development programmes, especially for the development of rural and township youth, instead of for individual beneficiaries and salaries.
This department should strengthen the youth and carry out autonomous monitoring and evaluation of government programmes and activities which will publicly announce in six-monthly intervals whether the government has reached its set objectives.
The department should put in place a mechanism which will punish those who do not perform when it comes to their work, because currently most people who fail in their duties are simply rewarded with senior responsibilities. Until these objectives are achieved, the EFF will reject the budget. [Interjections.]
Going forward, the EFF believes that this department should co-ordinate all efforts that seek to realise the development of the productive forces in South Africa. The planning commission should have the capacity to monitor progress in terms of industrial policy and mainstream youth development in all sectors of government. All government departments and all public institutions should employ a minimum of 40% of their workforce from people between the ages of 18 and 35 years. These departments should make sure that the budgeted funds are allocated accordingly. Thank you.