By 
By Ntombi Mhlongo
The government has set an ambitious target of creating over 12 000 job opportunities in the different sectors in the coming financial year.
This rather too-good-to-be-true target was announced by Prime Minister Cleaopas Dlamini when addressing after the close of their retreat that was held at the Royal Villas, Ezulwini on Friday.
Dlamini said the government looking at creating at least 12 000 new jobs in various sectors such as mining, agro-processing, energy, financial services, real estate, textile and manufacturing.
He said the government does, however, note that there are still many challenges hampering investment growth that need to be addressed. These, he said, include reconsideration of the work permits policy and making it more objective and transparent to investors.
“As such, Cabinet resolved to set up a committee that comprises all relevant stakeholders, which will sit down to strategise on how best this matter can be expedited, right up to policy and legislative level if necessary. There may be a need to benchmark with other countries that
we compete against,” said the PM.
He explained that closely linked to job creation is industrialisation and that Cabinet noted the growing need for the development of industrial estates to cater for the large number of foreign and domestic potential investors that want to set shop in the country.
“A lot of our industrial land remains undeveloped, hampering investor growth. Cabinet agreed that we need to intensify investment in factory shells as well as the development and extension of new and existing industrial land. The distribution of factory shells should be decentralised across the country,” he said.
