GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT PREPARATIONS

Issued by: Department of Labour

12 May 2003

Preparations for the Growth and Development Summit scheduled for the 7th of June, in Midrand are on track according to Labour Director General, Rams Ramashia.

Ramashia who is also Convenor of the Government caucus has confirmed that four task teams have been set-up, each focusing on one of the four agreed themes, namely; Investment, Employment, Skills and Equity, and Local Action.

Following the exchange of position papers by different stakeholders, two plenary sessions have been held where social partners sought to clarify the contents of their respective submissions.

"I was deeply encouraged to realise that there are areas in respect of which inputs of social partners converge", said Ramashia who also admitted that there were issues in respect of which some tough engagement would be required in the next two weeks.

"One of the key challenges is to exercise the discipline to prioritise few key areas where social partners can fold their sleeves and work together to ensure maximum impact", continued Ramashia.

"Social partners have agreed this Friday to set aside Tuesday 13 and Friday 16 for intensive parallel task team engagements. Further work will be done in the following week, leading to a NEDLAC plenary session scheduled for Thursday 22 May where the multi-stakeholder thematic task teams will report to", Ramashia said.

Ramashia also confirmed that a budget of R300 000 has been set aside for the summit but said that early indicated are that the summit would cost less than the budgeted amount.

"Government hopes that by the end of this month, social partners would have reached an agreement on a set of programmes for a joint action in addressing problems of investment, unemployment, skills shortages and equity. It would be important that the summit signs-off on a shared vision for growth and development, a set priorities programme of action that consists of tangible and achievable outcomes", concluded Ramashia.