DA: Make SMME’s loadshedding resilient to create more jobs in Mpumalanga
The DA calls on the Mpumalanga Provincial Government to offer Energy Grants to all Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) who are affected by load-shedding in the province so that they are able to save and create jobs.
According to the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), SMME’s employ Over 10 million people across South Africa – and the rolling blackouts are affecting their businesses. Unlike big companies and retailers, most SMME’s don’t have money to buy generators and solar panels to operate during load-shedding.
The DA challenges the Mpumalanga government to assist local SMME’s financially in the form of energy grants so that they can purchase generators or solar panels. This will help them keep the lights on during load-shedding, avoid job losses and to create much needed employment opportunities in the province.
According to the recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the second quarter 2022, between Q1 and Q2, 85 000 jobs were created in Mpumalanga. This is the fourth highest increase nationally. The DA welcomes this good news and strides made.
In the same breath however, we call on the Premier, Refilwe Mtshweni- Tsipane, to ensure that we support more SMME’s which are currently battling to deal with the effects of load shedding and load reductions in an effort to sustain the current growth and to create more jobs.
The QLFS also revealed that Mpumalanga holds the largest decreases nationally in the official and expanded unemployment rates recorded at 2.5% and 3.5% respectively. As of the second quarter, the new official and expanded unemployment rates for April to June 2022 was at 36.1% and 48.1% respectively.
The following sectors are responsible for the job increases in Mpumalanga, as revealed by the latest QLFS:
• Agriculture increased by 9.1% to 104 000
• Manufacturing increased 10.1% to 80 000
• Utilities increased by 22.6% to 34 000
• Construction increased by 14.3% to 91 000
• Trade increased 12.9% to 236 000
• Transport increased 8.2% to 70 000
• Community and Social Services increased 12.6% to 285 000
Given the above, the DA will write to the Premier noting the above increases and request that government assist the SMMEs financially to beat load-shedding so that they can save and create jobs.
