Parliament, Wednesday, 23 October 2019 – The National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP’s) Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic and Business Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour – and the Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administrations, Public Works and Infrastructure will ask relevant national ministers to clarify funding criteria allocated for economic development infrastructure and programmes.
Committee delegates are conducting a joint oversight visit to various projects and enterprises funded through the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). The oversight delegation will also meet with various municipalities in the Gauteng province.
Following a presentation by Busmark South Africa, the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic and Business Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, Mr Mandla Rayi, said both committees will have to address the funding of upstart and existing small to major businesses with all relevant stakeholders. Both Mr Rayi and Mr Kenneth Mmoeimang (the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure) believe that more must be done to assist companies to reduce unemployment rates and improve the country's economic growth.
Issues raised during the oversight visit include a request by Mayehlome Communications, a company that provides safety wear to various industries, that the committee should meet with the mining sector to open up and allow smaller suppliers to secure legal tenders. The mining sector, they claimed, was dominated by bigger companies.
The committee will also raise concerns with the City of Ekurhuleni and other municipalities regarding the buses ordered but not paid for or collected from the Busmark factory.
Once back at the NCOP, the committees will meet with and ask relevant Ministers and departments to explain the funding model of the IDC and the recapitalisation of the NEF.
Committee members will also be meeting with the Airports Company of South Africa.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSONS OF THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY, ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR, MR KENNETH MMOIEMANG, AND THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, MR MANDLA RAYI.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the Committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Brent Simons (Mr)
Tel: 021 403 8756
Cell: 082 731 7113
Email: bsimons@parliament.gov.za
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