South Africa: Premier of the Free State province, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae met with three entities at OR Tambo House, in Bloemfontein. The meeting was hosted on Monday with the members of the Premier’s team in attendance.
The government of Free State took to their social media to share some glimpses from the meeting. The officials also shared the video from the meeting for the people to access through the facebook page.
The primary aim of the meeting was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of governance standards. During the meeting, they wanted to chart a path towards financial stability, and address operational challenges.
The Premier of Free State said, “It was very important to gain transparent insights from leadership to initiate urgent corrective measures.” The officials have shared that the meeting was also aimed towards boosting the province’s economic outlook.
The Premier and the three state entities discussed ways to attract investments, foster a culture of robust governance, and revive financial viability across these institutions.
The entities who attended the meeting included the Free State Development Corporation (FDC). They were responsible facilitating economic growth by extending support for SMMEs, manufacturing, trade, and investment.
The Maluti-A-Phofung Special Economic Zone aimed to attract foreign investments and stimulate local economies, particularly in the Maluti-A-Phofung region. Free State Gambling, Liquor, and Tourism Authority mandated to regulate and develop the liquor and gambling sectors to drive economic growth.
Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae was accompanied by a team of Members of Executive council. The team included:
MEC for Finance, Tourism, and Economic Development, Ketso Makume,
Director-General Kopung Ralikontsane, and
HOD for Economic Development, Mbulelo Nokwequ.
During the meeting, the Premier emphasized the need for these entities to achieve self-sufficiency. She encouraged them to generate their own income streams.
“As the Free State Provincial Government, our priority is the welfare of our people. We aim for these entities to excel, creating job opportunities and demonstrating value for public investments,” Premier Letsoha-Mathae affirmed.
She emphasized accountability in management roles, stating, “High salaries must be justified by performance. It’s crucial that our expenditures yield tangible results. We owe it to our province to ensure transparency and efficiency.”
Further discussions and actions are planned to address these issues effectively in upcoming meetings.