Cape Town - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Monday that it was hosting an economic policy dialogue on Wednesday to discuss the role that big business can play in local procurement and localisation.
DTI director-general Lionel October said buying locally manufactured goods and products would go a long way towards creating jobs in South Africa.
October said the dialogue, scheduled to take place on Wednesday at the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s offices in Midrand, would reflect on the procurement accord that the government had signed with partners from business, labour and community organisations in October 2011 as part of social dialogue on the New Growth Path.
“Through this policy advocacy platform, the DTI seeks to engage the social partners and other strategic stakeholders into an inclusive conversation to reflect on the achievements and shortfalls that each of them has recorded in fulfilling their respective commitments since the inception of the accord, while taking into account its envisaged goal to create five million new jobs by 2020,” said October.
He added that the ultimate goal of the dialogue session was to secure private sector’s commitment to support local manufacturing.
“(The local procurement accord) aims to facilitate the realisation of the goals of the Industrial Policy Action Plan, to galvanise the private sector, organised labour, community as well as government into forging a strong partnership to encourage procurement of locally produced goods and products as a concerted endeavour to create five million jobs by 2020,” said October.
The DTI said Wednesday’s session would be attended by representatives of government, organised labour, industry, academia and other relevant stakeholders.
AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY