Thanks to hon members for their contributions. I have very little time. I will just go through a couple of questions point by point.
First of all, regarding SMMEs and 30-day payments, I should indicate, as the hon MEC Mahlangu was starting to do, that this is in fact contrary to Treasury rules. If you do not pay in 30 days, you can get the attention of the Auditor-General.
However, our department, through one of its agencies - the Small Enterprise Development Agency - has been acting proactively on this. Seda has been operating a call centre to deal with this matter. As of 12 February 2012, 25 000 calls have been taken by this call centre and we have facilitated payments to SMMEs in excess of R280 million. If hon members want to be serious about this matter, instead of just trying to pontificate on platforms, they should mention that the number concerned is 0860 766 3729.
Regarding the SEZ incentives issue that was raised, we are engaged with National Treasury on this. We are advancing in putting together a package of incentives, which will specifically include tax incentives as well. That is a work in progress and it is something we very much want to take up.
I hear the hon Gamede, the chairperson of the Select Committee on Trade and International Relations, and the call for an amnesty for people who are blacklisted. Blacklisting is done, of course, by credit bureaus, which are not government departments but private entities, although they do operate under the regulatory oversight of the National Credit Regulator. What we will do is contact the National Credit Regulator and find a way of once more engaging with the select committee to see how we can address that particular proposal.
I am pleased that the hon Winde acknowledged the work of the DTI in resuscitating the Universal Africa Lines investment in Saldanha Bay. Let me say that one of the reasons we escalated the oil and gas servicing programme to being a national programme under Ipap was precisely because we needed to have a focused engagement with ports authorities. It is not unique to South Africa that ports authorities do not automatically realise that activities in ports are critical job creators. I think we have been able to create a considerable new momentum in this regard. I personally had a conversation with the CEO of Transnet, who is well aware of the significance of these kinds of programmes.
Cllr Mafefe of Salga called on us to partner with them in various programmes around the UN International Year of Co-operatives. Let's just say that the department already has a number of programmes to commemorate international co-operatives year. We can engage with Salga to see how we can work with them as well.
Finally, I want to reinforce the point MEC Mahlangu made about how we should all act to multiply the designations on localisation with actions and decisions of our own. The hon Abrahams said the DTI must work to create opportunities for clothing workers to produce Proudly South African products. I can only say, "Amen!" to that, but it is not only us. This is an activity for all of us. It is precisely for that reason that we took up the question of localisation in the form of an agreement, through the social dialogue process, under the New Growth Path. Government, business and organised labour agreed that they would be making decisions on localisation. I would suggest that there are others who might want to follow suit. So, if there are those around who, for some reason, want to deck people out in blue T-shirts and send them into the streets, let's at least make sure the blue T-shirts are made in South Africa! [Applause.]
Debate concluded.