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Eastern Cape premier Noxolo Kiviet leave for Indonesia tomorrow morning on a seven day visit aimed at sealing cooperation agreements with one of the fastest growing emerging economies in Asia.
Kiviet will lead a 13 member delegation comprising Economic Development MEC, Mcebisi Jonas, Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC, Zoleka Capa, as well as CEOs, board members and executive managers of parastatals responsible for economic development.
She says the Indonesian visit is a product of a series of interactions and visits by the Ambassador and the Indonesian Minister of SMMEs to the Eastern Cape.
She says Indonesia is "similar to South Africa and the Eastern Cape in so many respects, including the history of colonisation and challenges of poverty". Indonesia has a population of 230 million but has succeeded in building its economy and to create jobs to an extent that their unemployment rate is less than 3%.
Premier Kiviet said the Eastern Cape is working on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indonesia so that the province can learn how the country achieved "phenomenal growth in Foreign Direct Investment … (and in building their) … strong SMME and Co-operatives sector."
Outlining the objectives of the visit she listed:
"the development of SMMEs and Cooperatives, the Port Management as the Eastern Cape boasts of three working ports to enhance exports and trade, the Agricultural industry development with an exchange programme between universities and technikons to strengthen our research and development capacity in food and fruit production as well as processing; and lastly In Women empowerment"
On Friday, the Premier appointed Provincial Planning and Finance MEC Phumulo Masualle as the Acting Premier. MEC Masualle was sworn in at the State House in Bhisho by Eastern Cape Judge President Themba Sangoni to assume the reigns as Acting Premier of the province from tomorrow 09 March 2013.
MEC Masualle is the leader of government business in the Provincial Legislature and also Chairperson of the Cabinet Budget Committee (CBC) of the Executive Council.
