Question NW162 to the Minister of Small Business Development
25 April 2017 - NW162
Stander, Ms T to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)Whether (a) she and/or (b) the Deputy Minister shared with her department the knowledge they gathered on each international trip that each of them undertook (i) in the (aa) 2013-14 and (bb) 2014-15 financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2015; if not, why not; if so, (2) whether any form of report was submitted to her department subsequent to each international trip that was undertaken; if not, why not; if so, will she furnish Ms T Stander with copies of the specified reports; (3) whether the specified international trips added value to government’s job-creation efforts; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Reply:
1. (a – b ) (i)(aa-bb) (ii) Yes Minister and Deputy Minister provided feedback to the department the progress of each tip undertaken as is standard practice.
2. Yes reports where provided as this is standard practice.
3. All the international trips added value to governments job creation efforts as they sought to enhance measures that impact positively on South Africa’s own entrepreneurial ecosystem. These include: opening up trade and investment and market access opportunities, building necessary skills development for the growth of our economy in targeted sectors, policy formulation that enhances SMME and Cooperatives development, and sharing best practices between development agencies and departments to bring about a strong local ecosystem.