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The Department of Trade and Industry and its entities

8th April 2016

  

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The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) is tasked with promoting structural transformation and providing a predictable, competitive and equitable environment which encourages trade, investment and enterprise development along with sustainable growth.

the dti oversees a number of strategic programmes clustered around the themes of Industrial Development; Trade Export and Investment; Regulation; Broadening Participation and administration of Professional Standards, Licensing and Accreditation.

The aim of these programmes is to promote industrial development, investment, competitiveness and job creation. The Department is also tasked with building trade relations and facilitating broad-based economic participation in a fair regulatory environment.

the dti’s programmes are driven by the Department's internal divisions and the various Council of Trade and Industry Institutions (COTII) agencies. COTII consists of specialised regulatory and financial development entities, responsible for a range of services. The various COTII agencies are responsible and segmented into the following categories, industrial development, policy regulation, trade export and investment, and administration of professional standards.

Within the Industrial Development space, two agencies play a crucial role in implementing policy and programmes. i.e. the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission and the National Empowerment Fund.

The Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission

In the industrial development space, the Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission (CIPC) plays a crucial role which includes the following elements: registration of companies, co-operatives and intellectual property rights such as trademarks, patents and copyright. The commission also promotes education and awareness of company and intellectual property law as well as compliance and enforcement of relevant legislation. The CIPC is also aims to monitor compliance with financial reporting standards, working closely with the Financial Reporting Standards Council.

The National Empowerment Fund

The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) drives and facilitates black economic participation by providing financial and non-financial support to black-empowered businesses, and promoting a culture of savings and investment. The NEF provides business loans from R250 000 to R75 million across all industry sectors for start-ups, expansion and equity acquisition purposes.
The National Credit Regulator, National Consumer Commission, Companies Tribunal, and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications, National Lotteries Board, and the National Gambling Board are agencies which play a crucial role in the industry Policy Regulation environment and are responsible for drafting policy and promoting legislative compliance.

The National Credit Regulator

The National Credit Regulator (NCR) promotes a fair and non-discriminatory market for access of consumer credit and provides for the general regulation of consumer credit and improved standards of consumer information. The regulator promotes black economic empowerment and ownership within the consumer credit industry and prohibits unfair credit and credit-marketing practices. The NCR also promotes responsible credit granting and use, registration of credit bureau, credit providers and debt counselling services and establishes national norms and standards relating to consumer credit.

The National Consumer Commission

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is the chief regulator of consumer-business interaction in South Africa, and was created to ensure the economic welfare of consumers. The NCC promotes a fair, accessible and sustainable marketplace for consumer products and services and promotes a consistent legislative and enforcement framework relating to consumer transactions and agreements. The NCC registers and assesses complaints, investigates alleged misconduct by businesses. The Commission refers individual for resolution, and represents consumers in the Consumer Tribunal amongst other things.

Companies Tribunal

The mandate of the Companies Tribunal derives from the Companies Act, No. 71 of 2008. The Tribunal's mandate is to adjudicate in any application that may be made to it in terms of the Act and make any order in respect of such an application; assist in the resolution of disputes; and perform any other function assigned to it by or in terms of the Act. The Tribunal aims to reduce compliance regulatory costs, provide redress and quick/easy access to stakeholders, particularly small businesses, and provide mediation where required.

National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications

The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) was established in 2008 and its mandate includes promoting public health and safety, environmental protection and ensuring fair trade. This mandate is achieved through the development and administration of technical regulations and compulsory specifications as well as market surveillance to ensure compliance with the requirements of the compulsory specifications and technical regulations.

National Lotteries Board

The National Lotteries Board (NLB) regulates the national lottery and other lotteries, including society lotteries to raise funds and promotional competitions. The NLB advises the Minister of Trade and Industry on policy matters relating to the national lottery and other lotteries. The NLB does not adjudicate applications for funding or make allocations to organisations but provides administrative support to the distributing agencies tasked with adjudication of applications for funding and the distribution of lottery funds.
National Gambling Board

The National Gambling Board (NGB) monitors, evaluates and investigates when necessary the issuing of national licenses by provincial licensing authorities. The board also maintains national registers regarding various gambling activities.  The NGB is a regulator with concurrent competencies with the provincial gambling regulators and provides a stable environment within which the gambling industry can grow its operations for the benefit of all.
In Trade Export and Investment we have a number of agencies which play an important role in the development of prospective exporters, with the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa SOC Ltd being one to note.

The Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (ECIC)

The Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (ECIC) promotes trade by providing for the insurance of contracts relating to export transactions, investments and loans on behalf of government. The ECIC is a self-sustained state-owned national export credit agency and is subject to the supervision and regulation of the Financial Services Board and other relevant legislation as a registered insurer.
With one of the dti's mandate being to ensure adherence to good business ethics and promotion of professional standards. The following institution have been tasked with the Administration of Professional Standards, Licensing and Accreditation; The South African National Accreditation System, National Metrology Institute of South Africa and the South African Bureau of Standards

The South African National Accreditation System

The South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) is responsible for accreditation of conformity assessment. This includes the accreditation of calibration, testing and verification laboratories; certification bodies; inspection bodies and rating agencies. Accreditation means third party attestation related to conformity assessment and calibration facilities conveying formal demonstration of their competence to carry out tasks against specified criteria, including criteria in national and/or International Guides and Standards.

National Metrology Institute of South Africa

The National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) is responsible for connecting the national measurement system to the international measurement system. The institute also provides reference analysis in the case of measurement disputes and maintains and develops primary methods for chemical analysis to produce and certify reference materials for South Africa, the South African Development Community and the rest of the continent.
The South African Bureau of Standards

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is a statutory body which develops, promotes and maintains the South African National Standards (SANS) and promotes quality commodities, products and services.  The SABS is also responsible for conformity assessment services and related matters. The SABS supports the dti's Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), which promotes the localisation of production and addresses the current economic trends. The SABS provides the platform for quality services and products which is the key differentiator in an increasingly competitive environment.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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