Trade and industry minister Rob Davies, on Friday urged rural and township communities to assist the government on how best to integrate their economies into the mainstream economy.
Davies, who will next week address a meeting on the rural and township industrial economy programme in Cape Town, said it would be a flag-ship programme for his department, aimed at enhancing economic participation in lagging regions of the country.
He said next week’s meeting would aim to create a platform for collaboration between the public and the private sectors in developing support mechanisms for rural and township economies.
“It will allow the gathering of intellectuals, specialists, academia, the public and private sector and individuals that have been involved in various initiatives pertinent to the industrial development of the rural and township economy,” Davies said.
Expected outcomes included partnerships between large and small businesses, collaboration between the public and private sectors and joint projects in support of socio-economic and industrial development, he said.
“This will inform government on how best to work towards developing the rural and township economy which should essentially form part of the mainstream economy,” Davies added. (via African News Agency)
