Ramaphosa To Respond To Parliamentary Debate

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday respond to a debate by a hybrid Joint Sitting of Parliament on the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.

The President presented the plan to a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces on Thursday, 15 October 2020.

President Ramaphosa characterised the plan as a set of extraordinary measures to restore the economy to inclusive growth following the devastation caused by COVID-19 to people’s lives and the economy.

The President appealed to all South Africans to work together to build a new economy.

Linked to the vision for the country set out in the National Development Plan, the objectives of the economic reconstruction and recovery plan are to:

• Create jobs, primarily through aggressive infrastructure investment and mass employment programmes;
• Reindustrialise the economy, focusing on growing small businesses;
• Accelerate economic reforms to unlock investment and growth;
• Fight crime and corruption; and,
• Improve the capability of the state.

The hybrid Joint Sitting of Parliament at 15h00 provides a platform for members of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces to engage on the address delivered by the President on 15 October 2020.

The President will respond at the end of the debate via Parliament’s virtual platform.