City hones its approach to changing growth path
The sand sculpture at the Shape Durban conference last year. Zanele Zulu African News Agency (ANA) The sand sculpture at the Shape Durban conference last year. Zanele Zulu African News Agency (ANA)
DURBAN - A Shape Durban workshop was held at the Botanic Gardens where the planning team worked to incorporate the Shape Durban concept as well as its outcomes into the eThekwini municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and the Service Delivery Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP).
The city said Shape Durban, which was launched under the theme “partnering for growth,” was created as a new approach to involve residents, business, education, youth and social partners to literally shape the city’s future and be involved in its decision- making processes.
Focus areas will include skills and innovation; infrastructure and urban management; regulatory and other challenges to doing business in the city; nurturing the growth of small enterprises; improving the competitiveness and performances of key industries; mainstreaming youth in the economy and solutions for the economically and socially marginalised.
Ajiv Maharaj, deputy head of the Economic Development Unit, said the aim of the workshop was for all involved units to discuss ways to incorporate Shape Durban outcomes in their implementation plans.
Justice Matarutse, the programme leader, said: “It is a call to action for key influencers and shapers in the eThekwini economy to work to co-create a socio-economic compact that changes the growth path of the city.”