DDP Public Forum- Engaging Civil Society and Citizens on the Economic Policy Document Released by Treasury

DDP Convened a public forum to gauge citizens thoughts on the Mid-term budget speech presented by Finance Minister, as well as to gauge insights on the Economic Policy Document released earlier this year by treasury. The forum was held on the 31 October 2019 at Protea Hotel in Midrand, Johannesburg.

According to treasury, the paper “is an attempt to translate the broad outcomes of inclusive growth, economic transformation, and competitiveness into specific programs and draw on a range of domestic and international literature to support these policy priorities. This paper considers the contribution of specific growth reforms that can achieve the outcomes of economic transformation, inclusive growth, and competitiveness.”

The speakers for the Forum, Nedbank Senior Economist, Mr Isaac Matshego and Development Consultant and commissioner on the National Planning Commission, Ms Tessa Dooms generally agreed on the need for more investment in local markets through the creation of local industries, some of which could be done through the Black Industrialists Program. Whilst Mr Matshego suggested that the private sector has been unable to do more, due to the regulatory framework that exists in this country, as well as the waning relationship between government and public sector, Ms Dooms asked a more fundamental question of whether the private sector is interest in the development of citizens, or primarily setup purely to maximize efficiencies towards profit-making.

Both speakers though, and the delegates were of the belief that the education system could do more to shape the well-being of citizens, it just becomes more important to define the country’s intended competitive economic edge.