Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
One-stop shop for SA investment open
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has launched the ground-breaking InvestSA One Stop Shop, aimed at easing red tape for potential investors.
Introduced to investors in the CBD yesterday, the InvestSA Western Cape centre is the first of three regional centres. Other provinces are expected to open centres within the next three years.
Dignitaries at yesterday’s event were MEC for Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde, Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille and Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Bulelani Magwanishe.
De Lille said the City attracted R2.7 billion in investment in the previous financial year, which created 6 700 jobs.
“We’re open for business and there are investment opportunities here,” she said.
Winde said the partnership not only brought the three spheres of government together, but also pushed investors to the fore.
“It is a very special day for our economy, (and sends) out a signal that we are serious about investment,” he said.
Winde said that InvestSA would allow entrepreneurs more flexibility to better assist government and entrepreneurs to deal with those living in poverty.
Addressing Zuma, Winde said: “Mr President, we have a motto, ‘ Better Together’. It talks to partnerships, and InvestSA is a real partnership.”
He said the entity “was exactly what investors wanted to see”, adding that Wesgro – the City and provincial government’s investment arm – had seen its mandate adjusted from facilitating inward investment, and outward trade and tourism in the region, to investment in greater Africa.
Winde said Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davis told him that he had signed off on the public participation process of 30 days for a special economic zone in Atlantis.
Earlier, Zuma said: “For a long time there have been concerns in business and investor communities that bureaucratic hurdles make investing in South Africa difficult.
“The launch of InvestSA Western Cape is our concrete response to these concerns. This launch allows all of us to see there is progress in allowing easy starting of businesses.”
He said the initiative would offer integrated services to the investor community.
Zuma highlighted positives in the economy: “This important event takes place as we’re all celebrating the latest report, which shows that our economy grew by 2.5% in the last quarter, and we’re out of a technical recession.”
Zuma said when the economy was in a recession before the last quarter, “pessimistic commentators said it would take years to recover”.
Magwanishe said the InvestSA centre in the Cape would provide strategic guidance for investors, adding: “The president detests red tape.”
“The entity’s purpose is to remove the red tape faced by national and international investors, who will now have to deal directly with the InvestSA centres. InvestSA will ease administration demands for permits and licences,” he added.
‘Mr President, we have a motto, Better