North West Growth Acceleration Programme adopts 121 companies

Delivering the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday, North West Premier Job Mokgoro said these companies have managed to sustain over 400 jobs in their respective sectors.

The North West Growth Acceleration Programme (NWGAP) has adopted 121 companies and placed them in an intense incubation programme since its inception three years ago.

Delivering the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday, North West Premier Job Mokgoro said these companies have managed to sustain over 400 jobs in their respective sectors.

The programme forms part of the province’s endeavor to make a significant impact on the growth acceleration of a group of high growth potential small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

Mokgoro said a total of 60 SMMEs, with a turnover of between R250 000 and R1 million, have been placed in an intense incubation programme for a period of 12 months, ending in November 2020.

This programme also serves as a feeder to the National Gazelles Programme of the Department of Small Business Development, aimed at improving the uptake of the North West province’s SMMEs.

In addition, R5 million has been set aside to assist small businesses that need turnaround interventions for their business ventures.

“Until now, four companies that applied have been approved for turnaround interventions to the value of R2 million with the potential to create and sustain 44 job opportunities as well as protect their existing contracts with suppliers.

“The Business Rescue Programme will be implemented with partners such as Productivity SA and other possible investors to support SMMEs that have been in existence for four years and have employed more than five staff members,” the Premier said.

The Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism and Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) have signed a three-year partnership (a 50:50 joint funding and implementation programme) in this regard.

The province has put in place a programme to support informal traders in all the four districts through business development interventions and provision of business tools and equipment, in partnership with local municipalities, Informal Traders Associations, and Seda.

“As part of our contractor, corporative development and SMMEs support, R100 million will be set aside for the procurement of goods and services such as linen for health facilities through SMMEs; with preference given to local service providers and suppliers,” the Premier said.

Land reform programme

The province is in the process of transferring 108 land portions -- about 12 924 hectares -- to Communal Property Associations, as well as transferring a further five portions -- 159.8 hectares -- of land to municipalities, as a contribution towards the land reform programme and economic development.

“We have also transferred 19.9 hectares to the government agencies and national departments,” Mokgoro said.

The Premier said 120 unemployed graduates in the agricultural sector have been placed in farms as part of experiential training and learning on a three-year programme.

“The northwest University Business School has agreed to collaborate with the provincial government by jointly tackling the important task to build skills and capacity of the State for efficient service delivery and to expose the youth to relevant cutting edge skills required in the world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“Two digital incubators will be rolled out in the 2020/21 financial year, valued at a total joint value of R16 million, namely the Mafikeng Innovation Hub in Mahikeng and the Leema Township Incubator in Mogwase,” Mokgoro said.

Fight against corruption

The Department of Education has introduced interventions to improve financial management and oversight of infrastructure projects, including the appointment of new bid committees and training on contract management.

“Eight investigations relating to infrastructure procurement have been instituted, while at the same time, the close monitoring of conditional grants has resulted in improved spending levels,” Mokgoro said.

Seven schools, including three that had been under construction for more than five years, have been completed as a result of the interventions.

The Premier said the Auditor-General has noted improvements in the control environment of departments under administration.

“The paralyzing backlog of debt owed to suppliers has been cleared, allowing for the procurement of vital equipment and medicines. The intervention has resolved the many issues that had resulted in widespread strikes, as well as lifting the moratorium on filling posts.

“Processes to fill all other vacant CEO positions are well underway. The Department of Health recently took possession of 48 new ambulances, which is another important step to rebuilding the capacity of our public health system,” the Premier said.

He said the Head of Department of Health was dismissed for serious misconduct in January this year.

“In the Office of the Premier, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Project Management Unit service provider contract has been canceled, putting a stop to the ongoing wasteful expenditure.

“We are ensuring tight controls to prevent reoccurrence of irregular and unauthorized expenditure,” the Premier said.

Drought

In an effort to minimize the scourge of drought and general water shortage, the provincial government will build borehole sighting, drilling, and reticulation capacity.

This measure is aimed mainly at livestock watering provision, with a further potential to assist with human drinking water where necessary.

The provincial government has implemented 59 drought intervention projects in the province to mitigate the impact of drought in the agricultural sector, to the tune of R31million.

In the process, a total of 667 jobs - ranging from creating fir-belts, de-bushing and drilling of boreholes, were created.

“We have rolled out 44 173 bags of fodder to 2 221 drought-stricken farmers in Kagisano Molopo and Greater Taung, as drought relief packages.

“We will be embarking on a process of establishing a fodder bank within the Taung Irrigation Scheme and other possible areas within our province. This way, we will mitigate the impact of drought and climate change by making fodder available to farmers at an affordable price,” Mokgoro said. 

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)