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The DA in the Western Cape welcomes the launch of the Western Cape Government’s Growth for Jobs (G4J) strategy. The strategy was launched yesterday by Premier Alan Winde, Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, and Provincial Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers.

The Department of Economic Development and Tourism had previously briefed the Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism on the underpinnings and foundation of G4J, and I will be inviting them back to the committee to provide details on the implementation of the strategy.

G4J is rooted in evidence-based economic policy, which sees government playing an essentially enabling role in the economy.

This strategy will be implemented in everything the Western Cape Government does, across all government departments, as the unemployment issue in the province is urgently addressed.

The G4J strategy is backed by a staunch belief that it is the role of the private sector to create jobs, and that it is the role of government to fill in the gaps and lay the groundwork to make job-creation as easy as possible.

This includes investment in infrastructure, including energy, investment and export promotion, and playing a role in matching skills with the demands of the market.

The Western Cape already has the lowest expanded unemployment rate in the country at 25.9%, but where the DA governs, we know that this is still unacceptably high.

The ANC National Government is constantly moving towards more centralised control over the economy, including telling our residents where they are allowed to work through the Employment Equity Draft Regulations.

The DA’s alternative, where government plays the supporting role in enabling our businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive, will pay dividends for the residents of the Western Cape, and is the clearest dividing line between DA and ANC economic policy heading into next year’s elections.

I ask the residents of the province, as well as the country, to keep an eye on what is going on in the Western Cape, and keep our improved economic performance under the G4J strategy in mind when they make their choice at the ballot box.

Issued by Cayla Murray, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism