Economic Development Annual Report

Annual Report 2023/2024 Mpumalanga: Department of Economic Development and Tourism - Vote 6

3. FOREWORD BY THE MEC I am pleased to submit this Annual Report, which details the work we have done, during the financial year ended March 2024. The Report outlines the interventions we have made in response to the directives from the governing party, the African National Congress, which has been mandated by our people to continue to change their lives. Achievements in relation to policy directives, 2019-24 Medium Term Strategic Framework and Department’s outcomes: The programmes of the Department for the year under review were anchored on the National Development Plan: Vision 2030 and relevant strategic priorities as outlined in the 2023/24 State of the Province Address. Working together with the private sector, labour and civil society, we undertook programmes aimed at placing the provincial economy on a growth trajectory, as this is the only leverage we have as the people, to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the people of Mpumalanga. We can look back with some level of comfort that the Department has made significant strides in its quest to create an enabling business environment for SMMEs and Cooperatives to grow and develop through the provision of financial and non-financial services in all the districts. To this end, women and youth owned businesses were at the apex of our priority targets. We have since provided tools of trade to SMMEs and Cooperatives operating in the green economy, manufacturing, agro-processing, mining, and the tourism sector, as well as rural and township economy, such as spaza shops, hair salons, car washes and black-owned tyre outlets. In pursuit of our plan to boost the provincial economy and thereby creating the much-needed jobs, the roll-out of critical infrastructure build programmes has progressed at varying levels, with the construction of the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market currently at 99.9%. In relation to the Nkomazi SEZ, the processes have advanced towards capacitation of the Entity as well as Township establishment. The financial support given to the incubation programme saw 10 leaners receiving training in the Mpumalanga Stainless Steel Initiative, whereas, 14 others were trained through the Furniture Technology Centre. Through our uncompromising posture on consumer rights, during the period under review, we have recouped an amount of R3 784 114, 03 from unscrupulous businesses and put it back into consumer’s pocket. As part of supporting the growth of the informal sector, the processes for the development of a Provincial Informal Sector Policy have advanced, and now awaiting consolidation of the insights derived from stakeholder engagements. The completion of the Provincial Informal Sector will ensure seamless support of the informal sector and provide the necessary interventions for growing the sector. In order to boost domestic and international tourism in the Province, programmes for stakeholder engagements in the tourism space were undertaken, in addition to implementing key regional tourism integration programmes like the TRILAND initiative. Challenges for the financial year under review The complexities in the economy were characterised by amongst other factors, load shedding, logistics sector challenges, high fuel and food prices, and weaker global growth and skills challenges. These challenges combined, affected service delivery and the implementation of some of our plans during the period under review.

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