Economic Development Annual Report

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

The four sectors (Forestry, Mining, Manufacturing/ Agro-processing and Green Economy) that the department is pursuing are aimed at growing the provincial economy that creates more job opportunities for the people of the province. Guided by the Industrial Development Plan, Mpumalanga Green Economy Development Plan and Mpumalanga Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (MERRP), the programme in partnership with stakeholders from the four sectors have embarked on initiatives geared towards stimulating economic growth and job creation which are contributing meaningfully towards Outcome 2: Economic Transformation and Job Creation. Through the Incubation Programme which forms part of the Industrialisation Programme we are developing small enterprises as a mechanism to drive inclusive growth and development. In addition to this we are also pursuing the new economies focusing on Green Economy to promote sustainable clean energy, including a healthy living environment. The department worked with the Mpumalanga Green Economy Cluster Agency to promote and coordinate the rollout of the Green Economy Development Plan. The Green Economy Cluster Agency is critical for the implementation of projects that would support initiatives in the “Just Transition Programme” enabling moving to a cleaner energy producing environment within Mpumalanga. The Green Economy Cluster Agency would thus ensure that deserving projects in the green economy space are to be executed in partnership with industry in order to promote the participation of local SMMEs in the green economy. In terms of the Memorandum of Agreement with Eskom work is progressing very well in the following areas; • Skills Development • Energy SEZ within REDZ • Copper recycling • Agri-Voltaic The Komati Agri Voltics project construction has been finalized and handed over to Eskom and the required trails with the agricultural crops has commenced. The refurbishment of the Komati training facility has been completed and will operate as a welding training centre at Komati. The SARETEC training on PV installation and Wind turbine maintenance has also commenced and is currently underway. Addressing youth development, the department is driving the Incubation Programme that focuses on the following: • Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI) was established to promote youth and other SMME’s to participate in steel fabrication. Various young people were trained and supported on stainless steel in order to obtain contracts from industry to take advantage of opportunities presented by the stainless steel industry. • Furniture Technology Incubator (Furntech): Young people were trained in small scale furniture manufacturing and upholstery at Thaba Chweu Local Municipality to increase the skills in this sector to support the planned Forestry Industrial Technology Park. The Department also managed to establish the Mining Skills Forum which is progressing well and serves as a platform where skills development in the sector can be enhanced. Consumer Protection: The mandate of the department is to perform consumer protection functions is derived from the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Schedule 4, Part A of the Constitution prescribes that the area of consumer protection is a functional area of concurrent national and provincial legislative competence. This entails that at provincial level, provincial governments have the authority to legislate on the arena of consumer protection and also provide associated services within this arena. In this regard, we have in place the National Consumer Protection Act of 2008 and Mpumalanga Consumer Protection Act of 1988. Currently we have a draft bill that seeks to harmonise the two legislations to promote consistency in the application of consumer law to protect consumers. During the period under review, the Consumer Protection office resolved 99.6% of received cases within the stipulated resolution time frame of 90 days. An amount of R3 784 114.03 was recovered on behalf of consumers. The office

41