DA:GDP growth too slow in primary sector

Imogen Vollenhoven
28 August 2013

The Democratic Alliance has welcomed the improved GDP annualised growth rate of 3.0% for the second quarter of 2013.

The DA said this is a marked improvement on the depressed 0.9% annualised GDP growth the economy achieved in the first quarter of the year.  

The country’s economic growth is forecast to grow at 2.2% this year. 

DA MP of Finance Tim Harris said that they do note that the primary sector which is agriculture, mining the places where most jobs are created actually shrunk by 5% in the quarter.

“So clearly while we are getting some economic growth it’s too slow to create jobs and we are not getting growth in the areas where jobs will most mostly be created for South Africans,” added Harris.

Harris also said that as the DA they think there needs to be a re-doubled effort on the parts of government to implement policies that will actually see growth in jobs in South Africa.