Motlanthe: Green economy in SA needs to grow(By Karyn Maughan via IOL)The government has set itself a six-month deadline to implement a multi-billion rand plan aimed at creating 500,000 jobsand protecting millions from unemployment and poverty.Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is adamant South Africa's attempt to lessen the impact of the current economic crisis is not out of reach.The man who led the Presidency's efforts to negotiate a response from labour, business and the state to the global financial crisis said on Monday that the strategy to save and create jobs, improve unemployment benefits and increase investment in local businesses was "achievable".He stressed that the government and its social partners were focused on creating and saving jobs because "job losses do not just affect one person; they affect families and communities".Motlanthe said the task teams appointed by the Presidential Economic Joint Working Group in February to address the economic crisis were "buckling down" to develop "action plans" on how to implement the strategy President Jacob Zuma promised would create 500 000 jobs by year-end.Central to the ambitious plan is the government's three-year commitment to fund public works development to the tune of R787-billion, as well as to provide R10bn towards a National Jobs Initiative.According to the Framework for South Africa's Response to the International Economic Crisis published by the government, the new jobs would include "expanding and improving the road and rail networks, public transport, and port operations, dams, water and sanitation infrastructure, housing construction ... ICT and energy-generation capacity as well as education and health infrastructure".The framework also proposes that the work days created by this "urgent" Expanded Public Works Programme "will be distributed among 4,5 million recipients over the five-year period between 2009 and 2014".It states that "1 million unemployed youths, women and disabled people will be targeted in public employment programmes directed at socially useful activities".Motlanthe told the International Labour Conference in Geneva, where he was to speak on "Managing the national agenda in times of crisis" today, that the mooted new employment opportunities created by the government would also include "green jobs"."The Department of Science and Technology is developing a strategy for a programme to create large numbers of 'green jobs', in industries and facilities designed to mitigate the effects of climate change," he said.Motlanthe on Monday said the "green jobs" initiative was one way in which the global economic crisis "can be utilised to move us away from well-established business practices that are harmful"."We believe that the green economy in South Africa needs to grow," he said.Asked about the Presidential Economic Joint Working Group's plans to hold urgent meetings with "businesses in distress", Motlanthe said these sessions had already taken place within the textile industry and had resulted in multiple companies, and jobs, being saved.For the very latest in green jobs in South Africa and globally please click here |