Big business can play a major role in local procurement by supporting local manufacturing, boosting jobs and local industries as well as increasing investment in domestic manufacturing, said Department of Trade and Industry (dti) director general, Lionel October.
To rally big business, the dti is hosting an economic policy dialogue session with the private sector on November 30 at the premises of Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), Midrand.
October says buying locally manufactured goods and products will go a long way in creating jobs in South Africa, noting that the dialogue will reflect on the Local Procurement Accord (LPA) that government and other social partners (organised business, organised labour and the community) signed on 31 October 2011.
“Through this policy advocacy platform, the dti seeks to engage the social partners and other strategic stakeholders into an inclusive conversation to reflect on the achievements and shortfalls that each of them has recorded in fulfilling their respective commitments since the inception of the LPA,” said October.
He added that the LPA sought to empower South Africans to implement a diversity of commitments. “It aims to facilitate the realisation of the goals of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), to galvanise the private sector, organised labour, community as well as government into forging a strong partnership to encourage procurement of locally produced goods and products, as a concerted endeavour to create five million jobs by 2020,” said October.
The session will be attended by representatives of government, organised labour, industry, academia and other relevant stakeholders.
