Deputy President Baleka Mbete, addressing a gathering of leaders from the public and private sectors at the Annual Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery conference at Gallagher Estate on Thursday, said that the 2010-1014 Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) targets had become more challenging.

"Our ability to increase the economic growth rate, with the aim of halving 2004 levels of poverty and unemployment by 2014, is not going to be easy, and is dependent on many factors, some within our control, and others not - as we have just experienced," said the Deputy President.

She therefore encouraged government and business to work together to build alliances to accelerate infrastructure development and improve access to basic services for all South Africans.

Cornerstone of AsgiSA

Infrastructure targets are a cornerstone of AsgiSA and remain a priority for government in support of its goal to attain a growth rate of at least 4.5 percent in the first period of AsgiSA (2004-2009), but some headwinds are now facing the next period.

Despite early successes of growth rates of over five percent in the first few years of the programme, the second period will be much more difficult, in the context of turbulent world markets.

"There is no doubt that the 2010 - 2014 targets are more challenging, and the world a more uncertain and unpredictable place," said Mbete.

The Support Programme for Accelerated Infrastructure Development (Spaid) – which organised today's event - is a partnership between the Presidency of the South African government and the Business Trust.

It is aimed at mobilising private sector resources, to accelerate public sector delivery in the infrastructure sector of South Africa. The Business Trust, established in 1999, combines the resources of business and government to accelerate the achievement of national objectives.

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