Today, on 18 April 2024, the City of Ekurhuleni gathered with business folks at the Germiston Lapa to chat about the newly looked at plan for development (IDP) and budget for the next few years.
They discussed the plan for 2024/25 and the budget from 2024/25 to 2026/27, giving the business crowd a chance to share their thoughts on how the city’s doing and where it’s headed.
Tsholofelo Koopedi, the head of Strategy and Corporate Planning, pointed out that businesses are like the backbone of the city, keeping things going. “Since you lot are the biggest movers and shakers in our city’s economy, your ideas are super important for taking us forward,” said Koopedi.
After going over the draft documents, the guests agreed that seeking other energy sources is a good idea. They think it could help keep the power grid stable and boost production.
Andrew Woods from Premier Fast Moving Goods said, “If we don’t have steady power, we can’t make stuff. And if we can’t make stuff, we can’t create jobs, which is what we’re all about. So, let’s get cracking on fixing these power issues, pronto.”
People from different industries asked the city to talk to Eskom again about taking control of load-shedding and to sort out energy cuts so they don’t hurt production too much.
The last round of chats about the development plan will be with young people on Friday, 19 April, at noon at the Germiston Lapa.
You can find the presentation and draft documents on the City’s website at https://www.ekurhuleni.gov.za/idp/. And if you’ve got any thoughts, send them to budgettips@ekurhuleni.gov.za by Friday, 19 April 2024.
