Question NW1391 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs

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07 June 2016 - NW1391

Profile picture: Van Der Walt, Ms D

Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Whether (a) her department and (b) all entities reporting to her are running development programmes for (i) small businesses and (ii) co-operatives; if not, why not; if so, in each case, (aa) what are the relevant details, (bb) what amount has been budgeted and (cc) how many jobs will be created through the specified development programmes in the 2016-17 financial year?

Reply:

(a) Yes

(b) Yes, however, the participation of small business enterprises and cooperatives is advanced through public employment programmes.

(i) & (ii) The Department of Environmental Affairs provides opportunities through different programmes and entities, and is specifically responsible for the EPWP with it’s 14 different programmes through which it has provided opportunities for people through SMMEs and cooperatives.

The Programmes are listed as follow:

  • Working for Water
  • Working for Wetlands
  • Working for Ecosystems
  • Working for Forests
  • Working for Energy (Biomass)
  • Eco-Furniture Programme
  • Working on Fire
  • Working on Waste
  • Working for the Coast
  • Working for Land
  • Greening & Open Space Management
  • People & Parks
  • Wildlife Economy
  • Youth Environmental Service

All fourteen of the EP programmes are designed to secure outcomes that have high returns on investment, over and above the Full-Time Equivalent jobs and Work Opportunities. The contractors and participants are all trained, skilled and empowered to do this work.

South African National Parks (SANParks) is in part, part of the EPWP implementation, and implements a develpment programme for small contractors or businesses. It also supports additional small businesses as part of the Infrastructure Programme.

Further opportunities are being sought through the Chemical and Waste Branch on the Recycling Enterprise Support Programme (RESP).

(aa) Programmes target to support 2,369 SMMEs for 2016/17.

SANParks implements EPWP projects in all national parks, buffer zone areas and some provincial nature reserves. For the 2016/17, the projects will support 501 small contractors, including training and contractor development. As part of the Infrastructure Programme in Kruger National Park, 14 small construction contractors are mentored for civil, building and electrical works.

The iSimagaliso enterprise programme is in its 7th year. It supports 182 small businesses. Businesses receive formal training and ongoing mentoring via a virtual business hub. The small business also qualify to apply for grant funding from the programme. R6.8million has been paid on in grant funds to 88 small businesses.

(bb) The department has budgeted an estimated amount of R 1.2 billion for the 2016/17 financial year which will be procured using SMMEs.

The amount budgeted for the small contractors in the EPWP programme under SANParks is R166 million. An estimated amount of R58.8 million was budgeted for the small construction contactors in Kruger National Park.

Through the Waste Management Bureau, an approximate amount of 11 million is set aside for the Recycling Enterprise Support Programme (RESP) initiative.

For iSimangaliso, the amount that has been budgeted for this year is R1.2m.

(cc) Throught the 14 different programmes, a minimum of 1519 SMMEs, 46524 Work Opportunities and 23 467 Full Time Equivalents will be created in 2016/17, a further 140 temporary jobs will be created and supported in the Kruger construction programme.

It is also envisaged that a 150 jobs will be created through the Recycling Enterprise Support Programme.

For iSimangaliso, it is anticipated that the development programmes run by iSimangaliso will create approximately 2000 jobs in this financial year

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