New president at the helm

Pravin Naidoo is the newly elected president of the Eastern Gauteng Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“I was elected onto the executive committee in 2011 and served on the committee since. I was vice-president for the past three years and was elected as president in February.
“I have always believed in serving one’s community and serving on the chamber enabled me to make a bigger contribution to commerce, industry and the community,” he explained.
Naidoo has been the Platinum Metals Refinery manager at Impala Platinum Refineries in Springs for the last 12 years.
He is married to Padmini Naidoo and is a father of two.
As the new president of the chamber, Naidoo wants to establish a working rapport with the municipality to ensure basic services are rendered to businesses, industry and communities.

Also read: Business chamber hopes for a productive year

“I wish to make the Springs, Brakpan and Nigel areas conducive to new and young entrepreneurs, and also try and grow a local business by involving and creating synergies between large industries and local businesses via the Business Linkage Centre” he added.
As the president, his main duties are to preside at all meetings and functions of the chamber and other meetings scheduled by local, regional and provincial government.
The president presents a report of the chamber’s activities at any special and or annual general meetings held during his reign as president.
Other duties include ensuring and enforcing policies and rules of the chamber.
“The Eastern Gauteng Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been in operation and a functioning institution in Springs since 1917.
“Its main purpose is to act as the voice for commerce and industry in Springs and surrounding towns like Nigel and Brakpan.
“Briefly, it is an organisation of and by local business people – be they small business or large corporates.
“It is a forum for business people to discuss their needs and the problems and obstacles that they encounter in running their businesses.
“These needs and obstacles can only be identified if business people actively participate in the chamber’s affairs, thereby facilitating the discovery of these needs, problems and obstacles.
“A chamber of commerce and industry is the ‘voice of business’ and allows its members to speak to government (local, regional, provincial and national), with one voice and there is strength in numbers and the collective value of the tax revenue of many members,” explained Naidoo.
He believes that businesses should join the chamber because it provides business network opportunities like business breakfasts, business golf days and industry visits.

Also read: Chamber has moved to new location

“We also host forums and committees for lobbying of service delivery, form liaison committees when there is a failure to deliver basic services like water, electricity and sewage to both businesses and the communities.
“It also punts eastern Gauteng as a preferred destination for starting up new businesses and industry,” he said.
He admits that the amount of red tape and bureaucracy to start a business is one of the greatest challenges for business people.
“And business interruptions due to no electricity and water. Crime rates in the CBD also prevent consumers from coming into the city centres,” he added.
He believes that the future of business and industry in South Africa does not look well unless national and local governments drastically change the current systems to one that is conducive to economic growth.
In his downtime, Naidoo enjoys reading, gardening and playing golf.
“I am involved with Kenneth Dube’s Golf Academy at the Royal Oak Country Club where we introduce youngsters from disadvantaged communities to the wonderful, game of golf.
“I also serve on the committee of the Grootvaly Blesbokspruit Conservation Trust,” he said.

Follow us on our social media platforms: