Create jobs, re-industrialise the economy and accelerate economic reforms was the aim of the visit by Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana to the Atlantis Special Economic Zone Company (ASEZCo).
Kekana, Deputy Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), visited Atlantis on Tuesday 25 April.
“As the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, unemployment remains the government’s greatest challenge,” she explained.
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are key tools used by the government to drive industrial and economic development. Within SEZs cluster industries from a particular sector locate in geographically designated areas to get the benefits of scale and co-location, she added.
“What makes the ASEZco is the interface between the community of Atlantis and the SEZ, including preparing learners for the jobs of the future and making sure that communities become active participants and owners of these opportunities.
“As South Africans we all have a shared interest in driving and supporting development and realising the vision of the NDP and government’s ambitious plans to create jobs and grow the economy,” Kekana said.
The Atlantis SEZ’s vision is to be the place where Africa’s green economy grows and this aligns to creating jobs and opportunities through the just transition to a green economy.
Inclusion and economic opportunity is something that must be actively supported and the ASEZ is geared to do this she urged.
According to ASEZCo CEO Matthew Cullinan the visit was a positive experience. “The visit by the Deputy Minister underscores one of the key partnerships and areas of cooperation with the Presidency in working towards the just transition,” he said.
The DPME initiated monitoring of the ASEZCo in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.
