Government

Policy

• Re-allocationof spending in order to keep to budget targets and achieve economic stability
• Restructure public service for improved delivery and more flexible employment practices
• More research and work needed to increase the long-term ability of businesses to expand and increase jobs, reduce the dislocation caused by businesses restructuring their production, identify labour-intensiv.e industries and eliminate those things that hinder job creation
• Policy co-ordination between departments must be improved and a special Cabinet em ployment cluster committee must be set up
• Jobs in the private sector should be preserved by encouraging firms to become more competitive
• Regulations for investors should be simplified with a "single-stop" authority to reduce red tape
• Mining, agriculture, construction, the motor industry, clothing and textiles, footwear and plastic-pipe production are sectors where interventions may be fruitful
• Goods that are not for export should be promoted
• Reducing the cost of investing in South Africa through tax holidays
• Innovation in technology use and work practices should be promoted
• Access to work for non-South African skilled personnel should be made easier to address the current shortage of professionals
• The interface between labour market needs and the education system should be improved
• Commercial transport services should be restructured
• Co-ordination in the planning of housing schemes must be improved
• The key area of crime must be addressed

Programmes

• Special employment programmes should be expanded to raise and speed up the level of job creation. Existing programmes include: municipal infrastructure programme; Working for Water and community-based public works programmes; Clean Cities campaign; land care campaign; welfare programmes
• Local business service centres should be established
• Land reform and extension services must be intensified
• Local economic development must be strengthened
• Investments should be encouraged through the Industrial Participation Programme
• Reducing the cost to businesses of investing in the Manufacturing Development Programme, the Spatial Development Initiatives and Industrial Development Zones packaging industrial or business projects for potential investors by upgrading infrastructure in the areas with job training facilities and transport. These should be located especially in poverty-stricken areas
• Skills and infrastructure development should be increased through the Infrastructure and Employment Investment Programme
• A national network of labour-market information and career-services centres must he established to guide workseekers
• A support facility and review services should be set up to assist retrenched workers
• Discrimination against women in the workplace should be reduced by improving access to childcare
• There is a need for increased information about markets, skills and financing for small businesses. Delivery in the financial service sector should be strengthened by promoting a second tier in the banking system geared to small loans, for example between R6 000 and R50 000
• Land reform, restitution and land tenure should be expanded. The Land Bank's innovative loan schemes for small emergent farmers could serve as a model
• Partnerships between emerging and established farmers must be promoted
• The Small and Medium Manufacturing Development Programme offers grants of less than R3-million
• A National Empowerment Fund will be set up to support new black business development
• The tourist industry must be expanded and should include special empowerment programmes and mechanisms for delivery and financial services
• A youth "learnership" wage should be instituted along with a youth training subsidy. and measures should be developed to avoid displacement of existing workers if new young employees are taken on, including improved career services in schools
• Vocational training must be improved
• Jobs in the information technology sector must be developed

Financing

• The Umsobomvu Trust will be financed initially from the proceeds of the demutualisation process and used for key progrrammes in the jobs strategy
• Rl-billion dedicated in 1998/99 to public works programmes through Various ministries and increasing to Rl,8-billion by the year 2000 or 2007
• The National Empowerment Fund will be financed from proceeds of privatisations and direct government contributions
• A dedicated fund will be established to support the expansion of the tourism sector, based on matching funds from the private sector