The Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, has announced plans to improve institutional effectiveness and enhance the delivery of the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) through economic structural reforms.
“The MTDP will address critical constraints in energy, transport, and logistics to unlock growth and enable job creation,” she announced on Friday.
Ramokgopa addressed the media during a session focused on the progress of the MTDP 2024 – 2029.
The MTDP is a five-year strategic framework that outlines the government’s priorities.
It serves as a roadmap for translating the commitments of the seventh administration into actionable programs and policies.
The framework is informed by the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) statement of intent and the manifestos of 10 political parties.
The main priorities include fostering inclusive economic growth, reducing poverty, and establishing a capable State.
Ramokgopa’s briefing provided insights into how the MTDP aligns with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s SONA and ensures the effective implementation of national priorities.
Last night’s SONA focused on economic growth, job creation, infrastructure development, and reducing household expenses.
The Head of State announced several interventions needed to create a robust economy that benefits everyone and stressed that for the nation to boost investment and job creation, economic growth must surpass 3%.
The Minister acknowledged the limitations in state capacity that have impeded progress in achieving inclusive economic development.
“The MTDP, therefore, enhances the President’s capacity to effectively coordinate policy planning and implementation,” she explained.
According to the Minister, the reforms also improve agenda-setting mechanisms and streamline the intergovernmental cluster system to ensure the cohesive execution of priorities, particularly regarding the organisational structure reforms that the MTDP will focus on.
“We have, then now come up with a way to deal with issues that will modernise institutions by streamlining processes and also clarifying roles of different departments.”
Ramokgopa believes they can address issues by enhancing competitiveness, modernising infrastructure, and eliminating bottlenecks that hinder sustainable economic development, through stable and functional local government.
She mentioned they are looking forward to implementing local government reforms aimed at enhancing service delivery and ensuring that development reaches all communities.
This will be achieved by strengthening municipal governance through revised policy frameworks and targeted empowerment initiatives.
In addition, the department will align State-owned entities (SOEs) with a developmental mandate by addressing governance challenges and ensuring accountability, while also ensuring their commercial viability.
“This process, of course, involved inputs from a wide range of stakeholders in government to ensure alignment with the MTDP strategic priorities.”
She stated that Cabinet has considered the plan and will make a decision on its approval in the next meeting, indicating that the resolutions have already been adopted by the local government.
“Now what is going to happen is that we will then now go to Cabinet to adopt it as a policy document of the seventh administration,” she explained, adding that successful documentation of this plan will be demonstrated through the achievement of its set targets and improved living conditions of the citizens.
She firmly believes that effective service delivery will build citizens’ trust and confidence in government institutions.
“In his State of the Nation Address yesterday, the President directed all functionaries in government to embrace a culture of orientation of quality within the public sector. Our department and Presidency, of course, will monitor cluster progress and address underperformance through corrective action.” – SAnews.gov.za
