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In a media statement released today, the CEO of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (SACCI) Mr Neren Rau, said:

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In the MTBPS Speech on the 25 October, SACCI will be seeking clarity on the following issues:

• Clear measures to address regulatory bottlenecks and red tape for business generally and SMEs in particular thereby reducing the cost of doing business in South Africa.
• Further allocations for SME support finance and urgent attention to improving such funding.
• Further funding and tangible incentives for job creation initiatives with specific attention to increasing youth employment.
• Direction on the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHI) as the first phase is due to be implemented next year and SACCI is concerned about the affordability thereof, particularly in the current economic climate.
• Skills development initiatives including;
o improvements to the operations of the SETA’s and,
o addressing the unused funding lying dormant in amongst others the Skills Development Fund.
• The green economy strategy and provision for the outcomes of COP 17.

SACCI expects enterprise support, especially for SME’s and support for the business environment to be a key theme of the Medium Term Policy Statement 2011.

Details on the funding and implementation of the New Growth Path are also expected tomorrow. Business also wants the Treasury to commit to a clear shift away from poverty alleviation measures that continue to foster dependency in favour of supporting economic activity that contributes to employment creation and poverty eradication on a sustainable basis. Accordingly, SACCI expects that although debt levels will remain elevated, the Treasury will announce pro-growth and pro-business infrastructure development to create an enabling business environment for higher GDP growth.
Although 2012 is an ANC National Conference year, SACCI expects the budget statement to continue to be underpinned by fiscal discipline.
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