by Emmanuel Tjiya
JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has revealed its New Economic Growth Path plan, which has set an ambitious target of creating five million jobs over the next decade, through slashing unnecessary red-tape, improving competition in the economy and stepping up skill development in Africa's biggest economy.
The new growth plan that hopes to enhance growth, employment creation and equity in South Africa would see strategic partnerships formed between the South African government and the private sector in implementing the program.
In order for South Africa to execute the new growth plan successfully, infrastructure development has been identified as the core piece in the creating of jobs across South Africa.
The new economic growth program in South Africa highly regard investments in five key physical and social infrastructure areas -- energy, transport, communication, water and housing -- as being a critical factor in growing the economy of the country.
The South African government believes that high levels of public investment in these five areas would create the required jobs in construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure in the country.
"This document reflects Government's commitment to prioritizing employment creation in all economic policies. It lay out strategies to enable South Africa to grow in a more equitable and inclusive manner in the future, fulfilling the promise of our democracy," South African Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel said in addressing the country's Parliamentary Portfolio Committee about the new growth path.
"The centerpiece of the new growth path is a massive investment in infrastructure and people through skills development, together with smart government and better coordination with the private sector and organized labor so that we can achieve our national goal."
In instigating its goal to enhance the country's economy, the South Africa government plan to work closely with business and labor in the country in an effort to develop scarce and key skills.
The South African government hopes to create 30,000 more engineers in the country by 2014, with an uplifted focus on high school maths and science.
The country also plans to undertake major changes in university funding formulae in order to achieve this target. In addition, South Africa has set a target of creating 50,000 more artisans by 3,014 as part of the new growth plan.
The economic growth path further calls for measure to be taken in South Africa to make it much easier to import scarce skills by streamlining the work permit and visa system in the country.
"The new growth path must provide bold, imaginative and effective strategies to create the millions of new jobs that South Africa needs. The economy has not created sufficient employment opportunities for many of our people over the past three decade. Creating more and better jobs must lie at the heart of any strategy to fight poverty, reduce inequities and address rural development," the New Economic Growth Path document states.
