Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Prime Minister, Russell Dlamini, has disclosed that the highly anticipated Eswatini Grand Plan intends to transform Eswatini along three broad dimensions, being: economic transformation, social transformation, and government transformation.
When addressing the House of Assembly, Dlamini said under economic transformation, the plan identifies economic sectors or clusters that could be accelerated to broaden and diversify the industrial base to deliver sustainable economic growth.
“The plan also identifies economic opportunities within these clusters to attract private investment and foreign direct investment,” Dlamini said.
Under social transformation, The PM said the plan seeks to deliver a high quality of life for all Emaswati including developing a healthy and productive population.
“This pillar on social transformation seeks to deliver strong social safety net and enhance social cohesion. The aim is to build a national identity grounded on our values,” the PM emphasised.
He mentioned that the third pillar’s target was to enhance government effectiveness, service delivery and to modernise and digitise the public service.
Dlamini explained that it seeks to strengthen accountability and transparency in government as well as to improve sustainability and efficient use of resources in government.
“All government ministries will be significantly impacted,” he stated.
The Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini having a conversation with Member of Parliament and HRH Prince Lindani on Wednesday
The PM further requested all Members of Parliament (MPs) to support the Grand Plan by rallying for its implementation and ensuring that its implementation was adequately funded for its duration.
The government recently launched an ambitious Programme of Action (PoA) for 2024-2029, designed to propel the nation towards becoming a developed and prosperous state.
Anchored on the theme, “Igniting Wealth and Well-being for the Nation,” the plan envisions exponential economic growth, improved infrastructure, enhanced human capital, and sustainable development.
This comprehensive strategy represents a pivotal step in realising His Majesty King Mswati III’s “Nkwe Mandate,” focusing on inclusive growth, job creation, poverty eradication, and national stability.
At the heart of the PoA was a target of 12 per cent economic growth by 2029.
Key initiatives include business-friendly policies such as establishing one-stop business facilitation centers and reviewing the Special Economic Zones Act to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
There was an emphasis on export-oriented industries, innovation hubs, and partnerships between academia and industry to create competitive advantages.
The PoA also sought to drive financial inclusion through strengthening access to financial services, launching a sovereign wealth fund, and revitalising the informal sector to integrate it into the formal economy.
The PoA prioritises enhancing physical and digital infrastructure to support economic and social development.
Under energy and transport, it was encouraged that there should be massive investments in renewable energy infrastructure, strategic oil reserves, road networks, and railway systems.
In terms of education, the government affirmed plans of building a Southern African Development Community (SADC) University of Technology, equipping schools with Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) facilities, and scaling up vocational training.
The PoA was also anchored on improving health in the country by constructing a world-class national referral hospital and adopting health systems integration to improve service delivery.
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