MEDIA STATEMENT
To : All Editors and Journalists
Date : 30th JUNE 2022
As part of celebrating the 46th Commemoration of Youth Month, the North West MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation, and Tourism, Kenetswe Mosenogi has challenged young people in the North West to make use of opportunities offered by the government for the growth and development of their businesses. MEC said this while addressing the Youth Support Seminar which was held on 30th June 2022 at Madidi Sports Ground, in Madibeng Local Municipality.
The seminar is part of outreach initiatives directed towards the economic empowerment of small businesses and cooperatives with an added focus on the business regulatory framework. The MEC defines the seminar as a platform that enables the government and its agencies to review measures in place to assist small businesses and cooperatives operating in the province, and where necessary reinforce initiatives that have proven to be unviable or not cost-effective.
In addressing the seminar, MEC Mosenogi encouraged the youth to draw inspiration from the youth of 1967 and fight for space in the business sector and utilize the business support intervention available in government, as this will help to reduce the regulatory burdens faced by small businesses in order to grow their businesses.
“The department in partnership with Development Finance Institutions, Regulators inclusive of SARS, and municipalities, has resolved to embark on these business agreement sessions around the province to empower communities on enterprise development opportunities available and regulatory legislation that businesses should comply with. As the government, we believe that information is power, and that it takes an informed community to access the business support interventions provided by government institutions,” said MEC Mosenogi.
She further acknowledged that the Province, and the country at large, are faced with many challenges that need to be confronted, youth unemployment being the enemy number one. These are not new or unique challenges and it will not be easy to overcome them but we must never give up and we should work together to address them and bring change to the communities.
Stakeholders in attendance encouraged young people to be innovative and pitch their business ideas/concepts. Some of these ideas will be supported to migrate them into fully fletched businesses that can be funded and operationalized.
The seminar coincided with the handing over of equipment and machinery to two (2) successful applicants of the departmental economic empowerment fund. “This intervention seeks to increase capacity, strengthen and sustain enterprises that are facing economic distress, especially on financial and operational difficulties, through the provision of machinery and equipment to a limit of R200 000 per application. The applicants must have been operating a legally registered business, and be residing in the North West Province”.
The Department through the District Development Model will continue to work with other stakeholders in the service delivery ecosystem to create opportunities for youth employment and facilitate youth participation in economic opportunities by providing them with the necessary skills.
ENDS
Issued by Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT)
For media enquiries please contact:
Departmental Spokesperson Mr Jerry Matebesi
Cell: 072 333 0325
Email: JeremiahMatebesi@nwpg.gov.za
Twitter: @nwpg_dedect
Facebook: @nwdedect
