13 November 2007

By Gabi Khumalo

THE Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality will be hosting its annual Mayoral Business Week to showcase its ability as a progressive local authority and as an active business player internationally.

The municipality's economic development department in partnership with various stakeholders will embark on a four-day growth and business opportunity programme to be held at Germiston Council Chambers, which kicks off on 20 November.

The business week themed: "Growth through opportunity" will provide a platform for the public to explore opportunities in skills development, tourism industry, small micro media enterprise (SMME) development and investment opportunities for 2010.

"The purpose for this year's business indaba is to rally all SMMEs within the metropolitan area, in an effort to link them with opportunities within Ekurhuleni through exhibition networks and share with them vital information on how to go about with procurement in the fields of transport, construction, manufacturing and accommodation among other trades," said Ekurhuleni city manager Patrick Flusk.

During the event, businesses will be encouraged to support and participate in council's programmes, create a networking platform for the public, businesses and government stakeholders, and link SMMEs with big opportunity holders.

Flusk said in keeping with the Government Communication and Information Services (GCIS) programme to communicate mass economic opportunities, through the annual business week, the city will provide the platform to communicate most of government and private sector initiatives in the region.

"The intention is to boost the economy of Ekurhuleni, we want to expose the municipality to global and local business players so that they can come and invest in the region and thus creating job opportunities for locals.

"However, he said that the city wants to make sure that in so doing, local communities get to understand the fact that they can also benefit from the opportunities created in a growing economy," explained Flusk

He further pointed out that while the main intention of the business week was to attract investors, the event will also expose the council to some of the challenges "we face in our quest to provide a better life for all".

Mr Flusk said it was vital that as a metro, Ekurhuleni provide a direct value-added business service to the business world by creating a platform of knowledge into the key issues that affect doing business in the South African and global markets.

"Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality's marketing objective is positioning the metro, both national and international, as a free-thinking service organisation that is committed to improving commerce and industry, the business week is one of the platforms to prove this," said Flusk.

He added that the idea of a business week is expected to expand the investor base of the Eastern Gauteng municipality, which already boasts of being the business capital of Gauteng.

The Mayoral Business Week concept is the brainchild of the Executive Mayor Councillor Duma Nkosi.

The first event was held in 2005 under the themed: "Business is red Hot in Ekurhuleni", the second was themed: "The Job and Enterprise Fair".

The initial event focused mainly in attracting investors, the objective was to showcase employment opportunities to matriculants, school leavers and the unemployed.

During this time of the year, thousands of people visit the Germiston Civic Centre, which is the official venue of this major business conference, to get first hand information about the Ekurhuleni's aims and objectives when it comes to economic development opportunities for all.

Source: buanews.gov.za