BY:
HON. S. MOODLEY MPL, KZN LEGISLATURE
Honourable Speaker
The IFP has always supported and encouraged any investment that seeks to develop and boost the provincial economy benefitting its population.
Creating more sustainable jobs is crucial to enhancing growth, reducing poverty and strengthening and fostering social cohesion. At national level, job creation requires a stable macroeconomic framework, coupled with structural policies that encourage innovation, skills and develops business. KwaZulu- Natal is endowed with valuable human and natural resources that can be utilised to advance industrialization and structural economic transformation through value added strategies in all sectors.
We are cognisant of the fact that the challenges facing economic development cannot be solved with a single, silver bullet solution. To enhance economic development, we must first articulate a bold endgame that is urgent, visible and iterative. Urgency, visibility and iteration must be at the core of all future practice in order to attain dramatically improved economic outcomes.
The IFP is deeply concerned about the high and rapidly growing unemployment rate, especially among the young, unskilled sector of our population. Sustained and persistent youth unemployment has far reaching and deleterious consequences including, loss of identities, shattered dreams, criminality and a lack of social productivity. Despite numerous efforts aimed at creating sustainable job opportunities, the sad and alarming reality is that the unemployment rate continues to escalate.
In order to develop the economy, KZN is in urgent need of more entrepreneurs to boost growth, foster innovation and aid in much- needed job creation. The reality is that much more needs to be done to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to flourish and succeed. Given that entrepreneurs and small businesses are being tasked with the mammoth responsibility of reviving the economy and creation hundreds of new jobs, we owe it to them to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem and ensure a conducive climate for businesses to thrive and flourish.
I thank you.