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Bloemfontein - The Free State has the slowest growth and recovery pace of all nine provinces due to poor economic performance, MEC for finance, Seiso Mohai said on Friday.
"The performance of the Free State economy has been below average in recent period," Mohai told the provincial legislature during his mid-term budget speech.
"The mining sector continues to put up such a poor performance as though it was waning, while the embattled finance and insurance service sector in the Free State, which was one of the largest sectors, continue to show up poor performance."
Mohai said the provincial government was nevertheless working at getting more resources, capital, SMME development, skills development and education for the province.
The MEC urged higher education institutions in the Free State to get more involved to make sure that opportunities arising from the province's unique and strategic position were not missed as in the past.
Mohai said it was vital for the higher education sector to develop scarce and priority skills such as in civil and electricity engineering, agricultural science, chartered accountancy, medicine, veterinary science, mathematics, ITC and environmental science.
However, he said the Free State's economic policies and interventions should be directed towards industries and sectors that were labour intensive and have the potential to grow.
The "army of discouraged work seekers" in the province was quite concerning, he said.
"The performance of the Free State economy has been below average in recent period," Mohai told the provincial legislature during his mid-term budget speech.
"The mining sector continues to put up such a poor performance as though it was waning, while the embattled finance and insurance service sector in the Free State, which was one of the largest sectors, continue to show up poor performance."
Mohai said the provincial government was nevertheless working at getting more resources, capital, SMME development, skills development and education for the province.
The MEC urged higher education institutions in the Free State to get more involved to make sure that opportunities arising from the province's unique and strategic position were not missed as in the past.
Mohai said it was vital for the higher education sector to develop scarce and priority skills such as in civil and electricity engineering, agricultural science, chartered accountancy, medicine, veterinary science, mathematics, ITC and environmental science.
However, he said the Free State's economic policies and interventions should be directed towards industries and sectors that were labour intensive and have the potential to grow.
The "army of discouraged work seekers" in the province was quite concerning, he said.
