DA: Medium-Term Development Plan not aggressive enough to counter SA's problems
The DA's head of policy and MP, Mat Cuthbert, said the plan did not go far enough or fast enough to get South Africa out of its stagnant state.
FILE: A Democratic Alliance flag. Picture: RODGER BOSCH/AFP
CAPE TOWN - As government puts the final touches on the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) ahead of its imminent release, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it was not aggressive enough to counter the country's problems.
On Wednesday, the deputy minister of planning, monitoring and evaluation, Seiso Mohai, said the plan was a product of consensus between GNU partners.
And while the DA does not dispute this, it said it would continue to lobby for more reforms it believes are needed to drive inclusive growth.
In a presentation to Parliament's portfolio committee, the department said the Medium-Term Development Plan would be framed primarily as an economic plan to address the country's socio-economic challenges for the remainder of the five-year term.
Its key focus areas are to drive inclusive growth and job creation; reduce poverty and the high cost of living; and building a capable, ethical and developmental state.
It views the social wage as a key instrument for poverty reduction and a safety net for the vulnerable.
But the DA's head of policy and MP, Mat Cuthbert, said the plan did not go far enough or fast enough to get South Africa out of its stagnant state.
"That's why the DA in the GNU will continue to engage the ANC to develop and drive a more aggressive jobs agenda that will create jobs, bring prosperity and save the fiscus from collapse."
Among the DA's proposals are to move electricity transmission away from Eskom, slashing red tape to grow enterprise, releasing small and medium-sized businesses from collective bargaining agreements, and removing tariffs from foreign-made goods.