Implementation of plans to get the economy moving sorely lacks
Chamber perspectives - a straight talking view on business matters
Recently I attended the Small Business Institute’s annual indaba for the region.
There were roughly 100 chambers and organisations represented, with the Aerotropolis Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Publicity being one of them.
These events are not put together at a whim, it takes serious planning and organising, so speakers who are scheduled to speak generally know well in advance that they are on the programme.
The Minister of Small Business Development, Lindiwe Zulu, who was supposed to give the keynote address, was a no-show.
She sent a representative, Treasurer General Paul Mashitile.
I was left wondering if small businesses were that important to the government, would they not make every effort at attending these indabas where so many organisations are represented who in turn speak to their members?
The Director-General of Corporative Governance, Dan Mashitiso, pointed out that while it’s commonly known that Eskom is owed billions by municipalities, it is in fact municipalities that are owed billions by the people.
So the culture on non-payment that has plagued our country continues, none more evident than sectional title schemes where body corporates are owed millions and therefore owe municipalities millions.
What has this got to do with business you may ask? Well everything, since businesses are suffering due to non-performance and incompetence by government officials who are placed in acting positions due to positions not being filled where people have been fired or have resigned.
This brings business to its knees where permits and permission are required to operate and slows businesses down in an already declining economy.
Mashitile told the indaba that in Rwanda, it takes six hours to approve or decline a mining permit.
Three years ago I sat in a South African Chamber of Commerce & Industry meeting being addressed by Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies where big businesses were refusing to invest in our economy.
Three years on, that retention of business capital has risen to over R1-trillion. I dare say that the President should probably stop trying to charm the world into investing in South Africa and rather focus on what is wrong.
All big businesses ask for is stability and then they will invest.
Such investment will involve supply and opportunity from small businesses, jobs will be created, people will be able to start paying bills, municipalities will start getting their money and start paying Eskom.
I know it’s easy to criticise and point fingers, certain government departments and officials are doing their best, but the implementation of plans is sorely lacking.
As soon as it is passed down the ranks for implementation, it is diluted and disappears.
The government must then give us a reason not to complain but to support. We need to go forward but we can only do so if we all sing off the same hymn sheet.
Article compiled by Derek Fox, CEO of the Aerotropolis Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Publicity.
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