Buffalo City Metro’s Growth and Development Strategy 2030 has drawn support from a wide range of interests in the public and private sector, but questions raised at a two-day summit included the city’s capacity to implement the grand vision.The strategy to be promoted over the next 15 years includes commitments to innovative economic models, developing a green and networked city, spatial transformation away from apartheid town planning and good governance.
The summit ended with a long wish-list of proposals from specialists in the various fields, but the metro’s ability to follow through was always under the spotlight.
In the economic sustainability group discussion, chief executive of the East London industrial development zone, Simpiwe Kondlo, said there was a need for an agency to drive the implementation of economic development strategies within BCM.
He decried the red tape within municipal bureaucracy, which retarded turnaround times and added to the cost of doing business in the metro.
Kondlo said the city needed a concerted effort to improve skills that would grow the economy, as well as infrastructure and services, which worked to the benefit of business development.
Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council chief executive Andrew Murray said there had to be a “completely new approach to economic growth in the city”.
He identified partnership opportunities between public and private entities in agro-processing, aquaculture, tourism, property development, as well as in driving down the costs of doing business.
The value of partnerships also emerged from the discussion on good governance, which highlighted long-range planning and consequence management in the fight against corruption.
Deputy finance minister Mcebesi Jonas earlier told the summit that government planning to date had been too short-term, driven by political expediency linked to individuals in office.
In the spatial transformation group, the proposed future development of the city pointed to the need for an integrated urban transportation network, rural agro-processing, social housing, regeneration of the central business district, and establishing the metro as a university city. — rayh@dispatch.co.za
New approach needed to grow city’s economy
The strategy to be promoted over the next 15 years includes commitments to innovative economic models, developing a green and networked city, spatial transformation away from apartheid town planning and good governance.
The summit ended with a long wish-list of proposals from specialists in the various fields, but the metro’s ability to follow through was always under the spotlight.
In the economic sustainability group discussion, chief executive of the East London industrial development zone, Simpiwe Kondlo, said there was a need for an agency to drive the implementation of economic development strategies within BCM.
He decried the red tape within municipal bureaucracy, which retarded turnaround times and added to the cost of doing business in the metro.
Kondlo said the city needed a concerted effort to improve skills that would grow the economy, as well as infrastructure and services, which worked to the benefit of business development.
Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council chief executive Andrew Murray said there had to be a “completely new approach to economic growth in the city”.
He identified partnership opportunities between public and private entities in agro-processing, aquaculture, tourism, property development, as well as in driving down the costs of doing business.
The value of partnerships also emerged from the discussion on good governance, which highlighted long-range planning and consequence management in the fight against corruption.
Deputy finance minister Mcebesi Jonas earlier told the summit that government planning to date had been too short-term, driven by political expediency linked to individuals in office.
In the spatial transformation group, the proposed future development of the city pointed to the need for an integrated urban transportation network, rural agro-processing, social housing, regeneration of the central business district, and establishing the metro as a university city. — rayh@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos