The government is on track to meet its target of creating 500 000 job opportunities by the end of the year, Public Works Minister Geoff Doidge said on Thursday.

"We will meet the 500 000 jobs target. No doubt," he told journalists at a press briefing in Pretoria, where the presidential joint working group reported back on the status of the framework response to the economic crisis.

President Jacob Zuma said in his State of the Nation address earlier in the year, that government would create 500 000 job opportunities by the end of December, as part of its Expanded Public Works Programme.

By the end of the second quarter, 223 568 verified job opportunities had been created, Zuma reported.

"The leadership team has accelerated the development of regulatory measures to provide guidance on improved terms and conditions of employment for EPWP employees, thereby furthering the objectives of the decent work," said Zuma.

Doidge explained that by November 15, the number of job opportunities created stood at 330 000, although this number had to be verified through strict procedures that could withstand an audit.

In the first quarter of 2009, 89 000 jobs were created across the three spheres of government, and Doidge noted that this was slow, taking into account that it was an election period.

"Progress continues and the uptake has improved," said Doidge, adding that there was "enormous potential" at the local government level. Some 81 municipalities were involved with the EPWP, and if the other 202 local government spheres could be involved, progress would be boosted.

An example of the job opportunities created through this programme was the clearing of invasive vegetation as part of the Working For Water Programme (WfWP).

Doidge also said that the department of Public Works was conceptualising a different model for job creation, with more community involvement, and looking at enterprise development.

This meant, for example, that a person who has worked on the WfWP, could establish a business, and work not only for government, but also look for opportunities in the private sector - clearing vegetation on a private farm, for example.

"This makes the job creation more sustainable," he added. Some R58-million would be put towards this kind of enterprise development at the local level.