Business seeks no detours to Presidency

[miningmx.com] — ONGOING engagement at presidential level between the business sector and government about the New Economic Growth Path would be the first outcome of Friday’s job-creation summit.

At the summit, it was agreed that a small task team of cabinet members and top representatives of Business Unity South Africa (Busa) would in the coming month agree on what such engagement would entail.

At the summit President Jacob Zuma asked for a follow-up summit to be held soon to finalise the work of the task team – probably within the next month.

After the summit Busa CEO Jerry Vilakazi said there was concern among Busa’s members over issues that cut across the work of ministries and parliamentary portfolio committees which needed to be monitored at presidential level. This would require regular liaison between business leaders and the presidency.

It was also agreed that large companies would give unemployed young people more training. The “packaging’ of these decisions would be finalised at the next summit.

BOTTLENECKS

The summit was held to alleviate or eliminate bottlenecks in the path of job-creation.

In a strongly worded opening speech Busa president Futhi Mtoba said the proposed amendments to labour legislation, uncertainty over property rights for mines and agricultural land, as well as the stumbling blocks for small business development were the obstacles impeding job creation.

Mtoba also warned that the nature and tone of public debates were cramping investment in the country. This was conspicuous criticism of ANC debates on the nationalisation of mines and union campaigns for a total ban on labour-broking.

The summit differed from previous presidential efforts to stimulate job creation in that this time it involved a bilateral process between government and the business sector that excluded the unions.

But in his opening speech Zuma said he anticipated a similar meeting with the unions next month.

After Friday’s summit Trade & Industry Minister Rob Davies said that the bilateral processes were aimed at strengthening social dialogue between government and the business sector. Time would tell whether the two processes could be merged or would proceed separately.