Iraj Abedian – Pan African Investment and Research
Pretoria – Government says it has noted the “reckless” statements made by the chief economist at Pan African Investment and Research, Iraj Abedian, which were published by the Business Report regarding the alleged “absence of buy-in” of the National Development Plan (NDP) by Ministers Ebrahim Patel and Rob Davies.
Abedian also stated that Cabinet ministers rarely mention the NDP, and alleged that it had been largely neglected by government.
The NDP aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030, and was endorsed by Cabinet, which Patel and Davies form part of.
Acting GCIS CEO, Phumla Williams, said in a statement on Wednesday: “These opinions are misleading and are not supported by substantial facts. The facts that I am referring to are that the NDP calls on all South Africans to get involved in implementing it because it is a plan for all sectors; hence business leaders have also recognised the importance of the NDP, which is critical for South Africa’s economic future.”
She said that in the last few months since the Cabinet Lekgotla there had been intensive work aimed at developing the implementation plan, which will be presented to the Cabinet at its Lekgotla in January 2013.
“It is at that point then that Cabinet will take concrete decisions, informed by proposals contained in the implementation plan, on how to take the plan forward.”
Williams said that reports of the NDP being in the hands of the ANC were baseless, as it was actually developed by government to address the country’s pertinent issues.
“It is the first time in the history of our country that we have a single national development plan that all of us, both in government and outside of it, should work together to successfully implement,” Williams said.
The NDP is a multi-framework to bring about a virtuous cycle of development, with progress in one area supporting advances in others. – SAnews.gov.za
