New business committee aims to grow Umdoni
Key issues affecting the business environment and economic development were discussed.
Umdoni Municipality held a Mayoral Business Stakeholders Engagement on March 24, aimed at strengthening collaboration between government and the local business sector.
The meeting, which was held at the House of the Rising Sun in Park Rynie, also provided a platform to discuss key issues affecting the business environment and economic development.
Business leaders, municipal representatives and other stakeholders acknowledged service delivery challenges, and emphasised a renewed focus on collaboration, investment and sustainable development.
“Our vision is to cultivate prosperity, create jobs and secure a brighter future for Umdoni,” said mayor Mbali Cele-Luthuli.
“Partnerships with both domestic and international investors are vital to achieving this goal.”
The municipality highlighted the different economy-building sectors it desires to dig deeper into to achieve this goal.
These include: tourism – transforming Umdoni into a global destination; manufacturing – attracting motor industry investment; education – expanding access to higher learning; agriculture – strengthening value chains; commercial and retail – boosting local trade; residential development – expanding housing opportunities.
It was also noted that major work is under way that feeds into Umdoni’s vision and these ongoing projects include signing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU’s) with stakeholders, establishing sector forums, reviewing the Local Economic Development strategy, developing an industrial plan, fast-tracking infrastructure upgrades and strengthening relations with ratepayer associations.
By the end of the day, several resolutions were adopted such as the formation of the Umdoni Business Growth Committee, comprising both private and public representatives.
This is to accelerate development and minimise siloed operations as well as the creation of a comprehensive business directory for Umdoni, the pursuit of investment opportunities beyond Umdoni’s borders, implementation of a red-tape reduction strategy to shorten turnaround times for development projects and related initiatives, as well as strengthening administrative stability to ensure sustained development.
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