Economic Development, Tourism & Conservation

Hon MEC, financial development is not a magic potion but the accumulation of debt concerns us all, as it involves great risk of decreasing earning potential with increasing debt repayment default.

I have generally argued that to enter into a phase of strong growth, we need to actively engage our citizens because of, DeSotos, Mystery of Missing Information. Currently, we have not triumphed where we can identify who owns what, addresses cannot be easily verified, people cannot be made to pay debts, resources cannot conveniently be turned into money.

We have to unlock dead capital quickly. So many other departments activities affect economic development eg. why 150 title deeds; why not more. Why not review discriminatory laws like Affirmative Action, for the born-frees to improve SA’s innovation index.

The department has done a lot in terms of controlling and vetting liquor licencing but constant monitoring of enforcement of the recent amendments to the Liquor Act must be done; liquor abuse is hurting economic development and increasing socio-economic burdens.

Of recent, the Conservation portfolio committee on which I now serve, is more on track with sustainability issues that arose from COP17 but things have changed in COP21 to sustainable innovations in Paris.

For planning purposes on how this budget will be utilised, it is important that representatives to COP21 from KZN should report to this committee and Hon. House what benefits SA has obtained and what concessions we have to work within as a country and Province, so that, we can budget for climate change and so can all other government institutions, most significantly because we are an economy in transition and the climate crisis has already transformed the global economy.