NPA trumps govt plans: Chabane

Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Collins Chabane. Photo: Sizwe Ndingane

Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Collins Chabane. Photo: Sizwe Ndingane

Published Sep 7, 2012

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Cape Town - The National Development Plan (NDP) will have an overriding effect on the strategies of the government, Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Collins Chabane said on Friday.

The government's intention was to heed the recommendations by the National Planning Commission (NPC), he said.

Chakane was briefing reporters on this week's Cabinet lekgotla, which endorsed the objectives of the NDP.

“The lekgotla also acknowledged the NDP as a strategic framework to form the basis of future government detailed planning.”

Chabane said an implementation plan for the NDP was presented to Cabinet this week.

“(In) the process of implementation, obviously every stakeholder has to look at their portion of work and align that work to the work of the commission,” Chabane said.

Asked about the disparities between the NDP and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) on energy - which included nuclear as part of the energy mix - he said government plans would have to be re-adjusted and aligned with the NPC's recommendations.

“If there are inconsistencies, the national plan (NDP) will have an overriding effect. It's a matter which has been accepted. We don't think there'll be any problems in the short term, or any problems in the long term in that regard.”

Chabane said the NDP was a broad framework which should be binding on government to put into practice.

“It's a plan that gives you 30 years. It's going to be revised from time to time, adjusted to align it with new things which are going to happen,” he said.

“Any policy impacted upon by the plan, would have been known to the drafters of the plan.”

Chabane said a series of discussions needed to take place on what implications the NDP's proposals would have on current government programmes.

“We're supposed to implement so there's no disjuncture on where we think we are going. That should include nuclear, and our discussion on nuclear energy.”

The NDP has warned against the nuclear option because of its high costs.

A government-led process to secure stakeholder participation in “mobilising national ownership” (of the plan) would be initiated.

A Cabinet committee would be set up to develop targets and integrated implementation plans with the Forum for SA Directors General (Fosad).

The NPC would assess implementation and refine the plan, Chabane said. - Sapa

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