Government is serious about delivering on the commitments it made in the National Development Plan (NDP) regarding eliminating poverty and reducing inequality in South Africa by 2030.

“We have this plan to ensure that we turn the unemployment situation around through providing employment incentives to employers, improving the ability for workers to search for work, growing the economy and ensuring better education and skills development especially for our young people,” Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, said on Thursday.

Speaking in Johannesburg at the pre-World Economic Forum on Africa Government-Business Breakfast meeting, the Minister said the NDP highlights the need to reduce the cost of living for households and the cost of doing business.

“In term of the cost of living, the plan proposes measures to improve public transport, address spatial settlement patterns, increasing housing options and outlines social protection measures ….work is underway in each of these areas,” he said.

Infrastructure plan in progress

Government had made significant progress and investments towards the implementation of its infrastructure plan.

“Creating infrastructure is central to both employment creation and expansion of the capacity of the economy to grow,” Minister Radebe said.

A total of R847.3 billion has been allocated over the medium term for infrastructure investment by the public sector.

Minister Radebe said government’s doors were open to working with business in implementing the NDP.

“We need to create a platform to address issues which are making it difficult for business to play its role in the implementation of our plan,” he said.