The Presidency tables 2017/18 Annual Report

The leadership provided by The Presidency to government and the nation at large during the 2017/18 financial year yielded a range of productive outcomes ranging from drawing black industrialists into the economy, opening the doors to employment for young South Africans and deepening the impact of Operation Phakisa in sectors such as health and the oceans economy.
 
These are among the achievements set out in The Presidency’s annual report which was tabled in Parliament today, Thursday 27 September   2018, by Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
 
The annual report, which received an unqualified audit opinion for the 2017/18 financial year, reflects the work of The Presidency whose fundamental purpose remains the provision of high-quality support to the President and Deputy President in the execution of their duties.
 
The year under review was characterised by various high-impact initiatives led by The Presidency as well as a political transition in February 2018 – several weeks before the end of the financial year – in which then Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as President by Parliament. During this transition, President Ramaphosa appointed Deputy President David Mabuza and a new National Executive.
 
The 2017/18 financial year was framed as well by the yearlong national celebration of the centenary of the birth of liberation leader Oliver Reginald Tambo, and the fifth anniversary of the launch of the National Development Plan (NDP).
 
In recognition and implementation of the NDP, The Presidency worked with various sectors in government and civil society to set the stagnant economy on the path to inclusive growth.
 
As the apex of a people-centred and responsive government, The Presidency reached out to various communities affected by social ills and socio-economic challenges and advanced the interests of the country and of the continent through an intensive programme of international relations and cooperation.
 
One of the major developments in the 2017/18 financial year was the launch of the Africa Regional Centre (ARC) of the New Development Bank (NDB) in South Africa. The launch of the BRICS’s ARC further demonstrates government’s commitment to providing access to capital for infrastructure projects in Africa and other developing countries.
 
In the interest of creating a favourable environment for long-term investment, The Presidency called for further engagement on the revised Mining Charter to allow for communities and other stakeholders to be heard to secure the consensus and collaboration required for the growth and development of this industry.
 
As part of government’s attempts to facilitate the growth of business by improving the ease of doing business, the President, together with the Department of Trade and Industry, launched InvestSA One-Stop-Shops in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape.
 
The One-Stop-Shop concept creates a point of contact for investors to obtain services that can fast-track projects and reduce red tape when establishing a business. The One-Stop-Shops provide services offered by key departments such as Home Affairs, Labour, Environmental Affairs, Trade and Industry and agencies such as the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, the South African Revenue Service and Visa Facilitation Service Centres.
 
In the year under review, the Black Industrialists Programme was launched to kick-start greater participation of black South Africans in the industrial sector.
 
Government has thus far supported 46 projects that have attracted R3.7 billion of private-sector investment and created 19 859 jobs. To support localisation, 21 products and sectors have been designated for local production. The financial year under review also saw the launch of the refurbished Babelegi Industrial Park in Hammanskraal as part of government’s plan to accelerate economic development and job creation.
 
In the results-focused Operation Phakisa Programme, significant progress was made in the implementation of the Ideal Clinic Realisation and Maintenance Programme, which is a systematic intervention designed by government to improve the quality of care at primary health care facilities.
 
An ideal clinic is a clinic with good infrastructure, adequate staff, adequate medicine and supplies, good administrative processes and sufficient bulk supplies that use applicable clinical policies, protocols and guidelines. Clinics should also have stakeholder support to ensure the provision of quality health services to the community.
 
By the end of June 2017, a total of 1 108 clinics in the public sector had achieved ideal status. This performance translates to 30% of the existing stock of 3 477 Public Health Clinic facilities. The target set for March 2019 is for 2 823 Public Health Clinic facilities to become ideal.
 
Coordinated by The Presidency, Cabinet introduced a total of 33 Bills to Parliament, the majority of which pertained to the economy, transport, finance, labour, education, registration of deeds, telecommunications, science and technology, and rural development.
 
The Presidency also collaborated with stakeholders in government and the private sector to launch the Youth Employment Service (YES) – an initiative that aims to bridge the critical gap between education and the workplace through work experience for young people. At the time of the launch, 20 “early adopter” companies had already committed to provide 22 000 work experience opportunities, with a further 18 companies on the brink of unlocking a further 21 000 opportunities
 
Under the banner of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC), the President launched the People’s Train in Tshwane in March 2017, which boasts both comfort and safety for rail passengers, and the Trans Africa locomotive in April of the same year.
 
Following the publication of the findings of the Heher Commission on Higher Education Funding - which was established by the President to investigate the feasibility of fee-free education  - government paid the fee increase, which was capped at 8%, for all students who have a gross combined family income of up to R600 000 per annum.
 
Government also made arrangements through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for the payment of the upfront registration fees payable by NSFAS-funded students at universities and TVET colleges.
 
The global business community responded positively to South Africa’s participation in the 2018 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, following changes made to the board of the energy utility, Eskom, as part of demonstrating government’s commitment to clean governance and to maintaining the viability of Eskom and other strategic state-owned companies.
 
These achievements signal commitments by the Presidency to grow the economy, improve service delivery, ensure accountability and transparency and set the standard for government’s collective responsibility.
 

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President, on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria