Johannesburg - Business Unity SA (Busa) urged the government
on Tuesday to introduce a youth wage subsidy as soon as possible.
"The funds made available by the National Treasury
nearly two years ago for a youth wage subsidy should now be constructively deployed
to help mitigate youth unemployment," Busa said in a statement.
A youth wage subsidy offered more advantages for youth
employment than other short-term job creation initiatives. It had the potential
to create over 400 000 jobs, Busa said.
In addition, small and medium-sized businesses, which had
the greatest potential for employment creation, would be able to use the
facility.
Concerns about potential abuse of the scheme could be
addressed with appropriate safeguards, it said.
"A well-crafted scheme of this kind can make a
significant contribution towards reducing youth unemployment in South Africa,
especially at a time of relatively low economic growth and rising
unemployment," said Busa.