Members of Parliament debate to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic recovery plan

Members of Parliament responded to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.

The plan, presented last week, aims to mitigate the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has led to millions of jobs being lost and further contraction of the economy, which officially entered a recession in March.

Opposition parties voiced criticism for the plan which they called unrealistic, lacking in new insights and lacking details of how the plan would be implemented.

Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane opened the parliamentary debate by providing a summarised account of the plan, identifying the crux of the proposed way forward as building an inclusive economy.

Kubayi-Ngubane said the economic structure will head up the implementation of the plan and will receive monthly progress reports to hold office bearers accountable.

Corruption and dealing with criminal elements was named as a key point of ensuring effective implementation of the plan.

Interim-leader of the official opposition John Steenhuisen had a negative outlook on the outcomes of the plan, saying the plan was a “wishlist of working intentions”.

While the DA interim-leader acknowledged there is “some good” in the plan, he said much of it is flawed and said the president is surrounded by people who cannot bring economic reform.

The Democratic Alliance also stated the government’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the national lockdown, exacerbated the economic impact of the virus.

The DA’s Geordin Hill-Lewis stated that no progress has been made on the president’s reform promises in 500 days of leadership.

Hill-Lewis said in order to advance, Ramaphosa should get rid of ministers who stand in the way of progress, commit to definite timeframes for actions to be taken and refuse further bailouts for stated-owned entities like SAA.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald called corruption a pandemic that is worse than COVID-19.

Groenewald stated the state cannot create jobs but must, instead, create a conducive environment for investment.

He urged a shift away from government involvement in the economy saying

In other news – #JohnVuliGate goes International

Amapiano duo Mapara A Jazz have stormed their way into the global charts with their hit song ‘John Vuli Gate‘ featuring Colano and Ntosh Gaz. They have secured their spot on the Shazam global charts top 50, sitting comfortably at number 46. Learn more

Source: eNCA

The post Members of Parliament debate to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic recovery plan first appeared on News365.co.za.