DA's Plan for Growth and Jobs - Democratic Alliance

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Internet users in South Africa and Malaysia (millions)181614121086South AfricaMalaysia4202000 2002 2005 2008 2009Table 9: Internet access has risen steadily in Malaysia over the past decade with directpositive impacts on the competitiveness of that country’s economy. Internet connectivity hasstagnated in South Africa, with detrimental consequences for our economy. Source:Indexmundi.comMEDIUM-TERM POLICY PROPOSALSPolicy outcome: Easier and simpler to do businessTime limits for building authorisationRevamp the construction permitting process in all DA-run city authorities and municipalitiesso that time limits are placed on each stage of the process overseen by the municipalityconcerned (such as paying the road repair deposit, submitting notification of compliance forfoundation work and plumbing, and applying for and receiving the necessary compliancecertificates) and a basic list of requirements is published for each type of development tohelp investors plan for the necessary time and costs involved.Competitiveness and Innovation: Positioning SA as a Global Hub for R&DResearch and Development or R&D is defined as the process by which new knowledgeabout products, processes, and services is developed and applied to fill market needs. It isthe means by which new commercial opportunities are born and existing activities are honedand improved. R&D is therefore a core driver of competitiveness.Increasingly, as globalisation means that companies’ value chains become geographicallyfragmented and international investors seek to capitalise on the dynamism andcompetitiveness of emerging markets, developing countries such as Brazil, Turkey andMalaysia are becoming more important as international centres of science and technologyR&D.65 | P a g e
In order to capitalise on this shift in R&D investment towards emerging economies, and notlose out to our international competitors, South Africa needs to position itself as an attractiveplace to conduct cutting-edge research.According to a recent OECD report on the attractiveness of different locations for R&Dinvestment, factors that prospective investors take into account include: the size of themarket; the availability of high-quality resources such as scientific infrastructure and thesupply of skilled labour; agglomeration effects arising from proximity to other companies; anda stable policy environment. How have other governments sought to facilitate high-valueR&D growth?A good example of international best practice is the US State of Georgia, which has beenparticularly innovative in its approach to leveraging university-based science and technology(S&T) innovation to spur economic growth. This involved establishing a state-wide researchalliance between Georgia’s six research universities and the state to build a technologydriveneconomy in the region.Public-private partnerships were developed between the R&D ‘triple helix’: universities,government and business. A key component of Georgia’s approach concerned the creationof a Georgia Research Alliance Venture Fund that provides commercialisation grants toassist researchers turn their work into marketable products.This combined with changes to legislation that incentivise cooperation between industriesand university-based research units (by allowing the institution to retain title to governmentfundedwork, thus enabling them to benefit financially from their inventions and innovations)has contributed to Georgia becoming major centre for R&D investment in the United States.With a number of good universities, and a selection of top-flight research institutes,specifically in high-value industries such as pharmaceuticals and science and technologyresearch – where we are ranked 30 th in the world by the World Economic Forum - SouthAfrica has the intellectual assets to become a world-class centre for R&D. However, smartpolicy reforms will be needed at a national level if we are to harness these assets to boostour country’s overall competitiveness and drive growth.As the case of Georgia shows, these policy changes need to: (i) Put in place the rightfinancial incentives; (ii) introduce a facilitative regulatory framework (iii) establish asupportive institutional environment and (iv) encourage entrepreneurial thinking amongresearchers.SHORT-TERM POLICY PROPOSALSPolicy outcome: Easier and simpler to do businessEntrepreneurship competitionEnter into partnership with companies, NGOs and local business schools and trainingcentres to establish an annual ‘My Future Starts Now’ entrepreneurship competition for 18 to30 year olds that will pay a cash prize each year to an individual or group of individualsresponsible to developing a winning business plan. The exact amount would differ from yearto year, depending on partner contributions, and recipients would be ineligible to apply morethan once.66 | P a g e
Page 1 and 2:
The DA’s Plan for Growth and Jobs
Page 4 and 5:
Foreword by Helen Zille, Leader of
Page 6 and 7:
Foreword by Wilmot James, Federal C
Page 8 and 9:
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMSB
Page 10 and 11:
PreambleThe 8% Growth Project is th
Page 12 and 13:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYBreaking down barr
Page 14 and 15:
A preferable, more nuanced approach
Page 16 and 17: The DA’s policy proposals in this
Page 18 and 19: Engage Africa as a strategic econom
Page 20 and 21: This high unemployment underpins wi
Page 22 and 23: operative government’. The separa
Page 24 and 25: South Africa growth in GDP, 2000 to
Page 26 and 27: The situation is exacerbated by pol
Page 28 and 29: elieves that, with our rich mineral
Page 30 and 31: Inefficient resource allocation: Re
Page 32 and 33: credit, while the employees of thes
Page 34 and 35: have the intended effect. In develo
Page 36 and 37: FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICY PRIORITI
Page 38 and 39: Presidency and VIP security have in
Page 40 and 41: OPENING JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO ALLThe
Page 42 and 43: LONG-TERM POLICY PROPOSALSPolicy ou
Page 44 and 45: Policy outcome: Flexibility in labo
Page 46 and 47: an accredited V-TAP Certificate. Th
Page 48 and 49: SA’s global education rankingsInd
Page 50 and 51: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO INCLUSION
Page 52 and 53: shareholders, and any employee alre
Page 54 and 55: SA Sports AcademyEstablish a world-
Page 56 and 57: (b) Specify that the annual financi
Page 58 and 59: Small Business Growth: A Key Driver
Page 60 and 61: Breaking down the barriers that kee
Page 62 and 63: and (ii) registering the Title Deed
Page 64 and 65: E-government in Africa (global rank
Page 68 and 69: Policy outcome: Improved state effi
Page 70 and 71: In the interests of sustaining stro
Page 74 and 75: Simplify import and export procedur
Page 76 and 77: Assessment Unit, located in the Pre
Page 78 and 79: The DA in Government: ‘No Frills
Page 80 and 81: A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALLWe have
Page 84 and 85: MEDIUM-TERM POLICY PROPOSALSPolicy
Page 86 and 87: CONCLUSIONSouth Africa’s economy
Page 88: than limit, economic opportunities
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DA's Plan for Growth and Jobs - Democratic Alliance

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