President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed his government to working with Business Unity South Africa (Busa) to drive economic growth that improves the quality of life for all, after big business pushed back against National Health Insurance in the second Presidential Health Compact.
The Presidency last week brushed aside big business’s concerns over the explicit support of the NHI by the second Health Compact, saying that the country needed a compact that was responsive to the challenges facing its health system.
Busa said it did not agree with the draft of the compact given the serious differences between it and the government as to the appropriateness of the NHI Act, let alone its feasibility as a legislative instrument to underpin universal health coverage.
Addressing the Busa annual general meeting yesterday, Ramaphosa said the success of the partnership between the government and the private sector depended on active and continuous engagement.
“We must accept that there will, from time to time, be areas on which we may disagree. We should not let this deter us from the work we need to do,” Ramaphosa said.
“Rather, we should remain engaged in dialogue with a view to finding solutions that serve the interests of the country. Clear communication is crucial for building trust and ensuring that policies are informed by the realities on the ground.
“We must continue to work together. We must leverage our collective resources, expertise and passion for our country’s future. Let us seize this moment to build a more inclusive, prosperous South Africa.
“Let us build a South Africa where every citizen has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from our economic progress. We look forward to the continued partnership with Business Unity South Africa as we embark on this shared journey towards inclusive growth and job creation.”
Last week, Deputy President Paul Mashatile signed the Health Compact, saying that the country needed a compact that was responsive to the challenges facing its health system.
Mashatile urged all the government’s partners to keep up the good work, continue to demonstrate progress, and deepen collaboration to overcome challenges.
“Our nation’s health is too critical, too essential to development, to be weakened by mismanagement, funding crises and other problems. We expect all stakeholders to bring solutions and work with the departments of health and science as well as innovation to implement them,” Mashatile said.
The Health Compact has the support of a number of healthcare workers unions, such as the South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa), who represent more than 90 000 doctors and nurses in South Africa.
However, the South African Health Professionals Collaboration (SAHPC) – a national group of nine medical, dental and allied healthcare practitioners’ associations representing more than 25 000 dedicated private- and public-sector healthcare workers – has refused to sign the Health Compact, saying it was nothing more than an attempt to lock in support for the NHI Act.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa also highlighted all the structural reforms that the government was achieving in partnership with the private sector to get the economy working again, including working with Transnet to implement the critical actions contained in the Freight Logistics Roadmap and supporting the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.
He also acknowledged the role that business has lent its support to the fight against crime and corruption, including working with the National Treasury to remove South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force greylist.
“With our far-reaching reforms gaining momentum, the second phase of our partnership with business requires a firm focus on employment creation. This is where we need to strengthen the partnership,” he said.
“The progress that we have made shows the value of partnership. It also underlines the essential role that Busa continues to play in building our economy and society.”
BUSINESS REPORT