MECs told of skills initiatives, mergers ... and the corruption probe
By SABELO NDLANGISA
TWO major announcements were made to Bhisho legislators yesterday that could have far-reaching effects on the future operation of the Eastern Cape government – the first on the Pillay corruption probe, the second on a public-private mentoring scheme.
Premier Nosimo Balindlela said the long-awaited report of the Pillay Commission on corruption in the management of provincial public finances would be handed to her pretty soon.
Balindlela, who intends letting President Thabo Mbeki see it first, said in reply to questions from provincial Democratic Alliance chief Athol Trollip that the commission spent R463000 on subsistence and R589000 on travel.
Economic Affairs MEC Mbulelo Sogoni said the mentoring scheme for civil servants, which would be run in partnership with private sector companies, was about to start.
In his policy speech, Sogoni said the programme would focus on developing skills in such areas as project management, supply chain management and local economic
development.
He also told of plans to merge the provincial Tourism Board and the Parks Board over the next year.
It was recommended by a study into the viability of bringing the two parastatals under one authority.
He announced that small business development would receive a major boost, with the department allocating R72,5 million to the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and the Small Enterprise Development Agency to give financial and technical support to small enterprises.
Sogoni said they had identified the call centre industry as a sector of the economy likely to create many jobs.
The Department of Trade and Industry and the provincial government had put together business proposals for the call centres, and was “mobilising support and funding” for centres in Mthatha and the Nelson Mandela Municipality.
Sogoni said the ECDC had commissioned a review of the interest rates it charges on loans to small enterprises.
“Our approach is to ensure that these loans are packaged so that they are both affordable and address sector-specific challenges,” he said.
“All these interventions are intended to maximise the economic participation by those who were previously marginalised in the mainstream economic activities.”
Sogoni announced a R453m budget allocation – about 73 percent of the department’s budget – to the parastatals for the 2007/8 financial year.
He said the Development Corporation would receive R140,9m, the Parks Board R99,4m, the Liquor Board R22,3m, the Tourism Board R22m, the Gambling Board R20,2m and East London IDZ R113m.