Trade & Industry - A strong and balanced economy

South Africa is a middle-income developing country with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy and transport sectors; a modern infrastructure; and a stock exchange ranking among the ten largest in the world.

The challenges the country is facing are to create a strong and balanced economy in order to eliminate poverty, develop a dynamic human resource capacity, facilitate the creation of a prosperous southern African region, and engage itself in the world economy in a sustainable manner.

Privatisation

The UCDP is of the opinion that government should never be involved in business enterprises unless there is a truly compelling reason. Business is best left to the business community, which should never find itself in a position where government is using taxes extracted from business to compete with business.

Therefore, all business interests owned in whole, or in part, by government will be disposed of on the open market, with empowerment conditions where appropriate.

The funds raised therefrom should be judiciously used for the betterment of the lives of all South Africans.

Job Creation

Job creation leading to poverty alleviation which in turn will contribute to a reduction in the levels of crime will be a top priority of a UCDP government.

Of necessity preference will be given to assisting ventures which are labour intensive, and ventures which hold out the prospect of producing skilled workers.

A UCDP-led government will implement policies which will deliver:

  • The creation of jobs while promulgating laws that balance the rights of workers and employers;
  • Stimulation of SMMEs and the provision of government-funded or government-enabled infrastructure and local economic development initiatives. Public-private partnerships are an important means of leveraging private-sector investment into these programmes, as is the restructuring of State assets;
  • Attract investors and lower taxes while increasing the collection of taxes;
  • We shall encourage a free entrepreneurial system.
To support the right to unimpeded access to the employment market deregulation will be controlled so that all entrepreneurs can benefit. We will:
  • Prepare small business to meet the challenges of an internationally competitive economy;
  • Create an enabling environment for small enterprises;
  • Level the playing-fields between big and small businesses, as well as between rural and urban businesses;
  • Facilitate greater equalisation of income, wealth and earning opportunities;
  • Support the advancement of women in all business sectors;
  • Create long-term jobs;
  • Stimulate sector-focused economic growth;
  • Strengthen cohesion between small enterprises;
  • Attract foreign investors who will in turn benefit from tax concessions and fair labour laws;
  • Development of developed co-operating corporations have to be put in place in order to have industrial zones. To establish Industrial Development Zones where raw materials will be processed locally and thus reap the fruits of beneficiation; and
  • To make bursaries available to students to qualify for skilled blue-collar jobs.