It is clear from the new provincial budget that the Western Cape continues to lead the way in promoting industrial development and growth, says the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“I think this is largely due to the imaginative approach adopted to encourage industries like tourism, renewable energy and modern broad band communication,” said Ms Janine Myburgh, President of the Chamber.

“It is also because the province goes out of its way to encourage business and a business friendly environment. That is a welcome contrast to what is happening in the rest of the country.”

Ms Myburgh said it was clear from the statistics that performance in sectors like education that the situation in the Province was continuing to improve.

The big investments in the Saldanha Bay industrial development zone (R124.8 million) and Atlantis augured well for the future. “Most encouraging of all is the way the Province has come to terms with energy security and is now promoting solar energy on both a large and small scale. There is an understanding that the electricity industry is changing and being decentralised. This is going to create a lot of local businesses and jobs and reduce our dependence on Eskom.”

Ms Myburgh said her only disappointment was that more was not said about water. “This is a big challenge for the future and it needs to be tackled with the same imagination as the green economy.”