Chairperson, the FD supports the idea of a developmental state if by implication it suggests a caring state. A caring state upholds the rights and privileges of its citizens to access state services that are adequately resourced, easily accessible and available, duly responsive to meet required needs and service objectives as well as efficiently and effectively managed.
One of the basic conditions towards the implementation of a developmental state is for government to improve on service delivery. It does not matter if we call ourselves a developmental state when hospital beds are cut or when the cost of living in South Africa is beyond the reach of the average citizen. There is general concern that although South Africa has had stable economic growth over the past decade there is still the need for an economic miracle to lift our people from poverty and unemployment if you want to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2014.
Although we have had an average growth of around 3% to 5% over the past few years, the current economic climate suggests that unless real disposable income benefits are enjoyed by more and more people, very little turnaround in the fortunes of poorer households will be attained by 2014. Most of the poor are constrained by circumstances, which force them to rely too much on state assistance, even though government has introduced mechanisms such as Asgisa and the Jipsa programmes to empower the unskilled and the indigent.
Finally, a developmental state in the context of our country is one that should redress economic and social inequalities through a blend or market and social forces within a consolidating partnership framework including government, business as well as civic bodies and institutions of higher and further learning. I thank you.