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Gordhan: Put plans into practice

Johannesburg - South Africa's biggest weakness is a failure to put plans into practice, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Monday.

"One of our biggest weaknesses... is our inability to implement our policies," he told Business Unity SA's (Busa's) annual general meeting in Johannesburg.

"How do we implement with a greater sense of urgency and with a greater sense of purpose than we have in the past?"

The South African government, he said, is not perfect and the private sector should help create a more capable state.

"It is our common task to create an effective state."

Gordhan said business is a key player in the economy and in deciding South Africa's growth path, and better synergy between business and government is required.

A key problem for business is finding a way to speak with one voice.

"You have many diverse voices within businesses... one of the key challenges you have is... to bring these voices into some kind of synchronisation," Gordhan said.

Black business groups, including the Black Management Forum (BMF), resurrected the Black Business Council in September, suspended their participation in Busa.

The BMF said Busa's structure is fundamentally flawed, with the voice of black business "permanently outnumbered and suppressed".

On Monday, Gordhan called on business to reconsider remuneration in the light of the huge inequalities in society.

"There is not enough coming from business that indicates sufficient recognition on your side that huge bonuses to managers is going to have a damaging effect."

Business should also look at ways to tackle youth issues and ensure it is aware of society's broader problems.

"They shouldn't have to be marching in the streets of Sandton to raise the awareness of our Sandton citizens that we have serious problems in South Africa," he said.

He was referring to the recent African National Congress Youth League march for economic freedom that included handing a memorandum to the JSE in Sandton, Johannesburg.

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