|
Statement on Cabinet Meeting, 22 July 2005 Cabinet held
its ordinary meeting on Tuesday, 19 July, followed by a three-day lekgotla which
ended on Thursday afternoon. President Thabo Mbeki will brief the media on the
decisions of the lekgotla on Sunday, 24 July. The ordinary Cabinet meeting
was briefed on progress in the implementation of the Taxi Recapitalisation Project;
and it approved an implementation strategy including the publication of draft
Regulations on safety requirements. A national tender inviting interested parties
to submit proposals on the management of the scrapping system for old vehicles
will be issued soon. Details on these issues will be communicated by the
Minister of Transport in the coming few days. The following appointments
were approved: - Ms Nomonde Mapetla as CEO of the Estate Agency Affairs
Board;
- Governing Board for the Inkomati Catchment Management Agency,
chaired by Ms TP Nyakane-Maloka;
- Dr Sibusiso Sibisi as Non-Executive
Chairperson of the Board of Directors of DENEL; and
- Mr Valli Moosa as
Non-Executive Chairperson of Eskom.
Cabinet set up an Inter-Ministerial
Committee to prepare for the World Summit on Information Society, which will take
place in Tunisia in November 2005. The Committee is made up of the Ministers of
Communication, Arts and Culture, Education, Foreign Affairs, Health, Public Service
and Administration, Science and Technology, and Trade and Industry. The
meeting also noted the re-election of SA (represented by DG: Science and Technology)
as co-chair of the Group on Earth Observation. The meeting examined matters pertaining
to research, including gross expenditure, performance and demographic composition
of researchers. It agreed that the target for 1% expenditure in research and development
as a percentage of GDP by 2008 should be pursued and if possible surpassed. This
will require, among other things, the strengthening of direct government support
and deliberate targeting of growth in fulltime researchers in the Higher Education
Sector. Cabinet also agreed to set up an Inter-Governmental Committee on
the Hydrogen Economy, to drive research and innovation and deal with regulatory
matters and demonstration programmes. Having considered a briefing on Human
Resources for Health Plan, the meeting agreed that the Strategic Framework on
the Plan should be released for public consultations. The Plan is aimed at developing
and retaining critical skills in the health sector. For further information
contact:
Joel Netshitenzhe
Cell: 082 900 0083 Issued by: Government
Communications (GCIS)
22 July 2005 | 
