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Where the numbers hold no value

30th October 2015

By: Riaan de Lange

  

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The media recently reported on President Jacob Zuma’s ‘fumble’ in expressing the membership numbers of the politi- cal party that he heads, which had dropped from “a little more than 1.2-million in 2012 to 769 870 this year”.

It might have been easier and more profound had the President expressed the decline in percentage terms – 35.84%. It is an easy number to pronounce and would, no doubt, have been more clearly understood by the audience.

Why is it that there is a tendency to recite big numbers in isolation without comparison? Is there a sinister intent, such as to hide or deceive, or is it that the average person is evidently numerically challenged? The latter might be perceived to be very harsh, but consider this – when confronted by an array of verbalised numbers, do you grasp their significance or the message that they attempt to convey?

I am still confounded that in the digital media – television or radio – the gold price, the Brent crude oil price and the South African rand exchange rate against the US dollar, the British pound and the Japanese yen are still being reported. The newscaster rattles off an array of numbers which, I contend, mean nothing, or, at best, very little, to the average viewer or listener. If a comparison is provided, it only takes into account the previous day – the day-to-day change. I simply do not understand why this even forms part the news. The numbers can hardly be considered memorable or worthwhile for them to be committed to memory. As a consequence, it is my contention that these numbers simply have no value at all.

Zero in mathematics is arguably worth more, since, at least, it serves as both a number and a numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals. Further, it fulfils a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures. As a digit, zero is used as a place holder in place-value systems. In addition, the English language contains a number of names for the number/numerical digit ‘0’, which include zero, nought, scratch, nada, or love, to name a few.

This reminds me of one of my favourite songs, the lyrics of which, according to academics – yes, they do that – have three underlining meanings. According to the songwriters’ own explanation, it originated from their observations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where, apparently, it is possible to identify a person’s religion and income, based on the street on which they live. The song is, of course, Where the streets have no name, from U2’s infamous Joshua Tree album, released on March 9, 1987. Now, be truthful, when you saw the date, was there any temptation to calculate how old you were at the time?
Considering that numbers are being recited with greater regularity, with the message they seek to convey seemingly not fully understood, I contend that there should be a song for our treatment of numbers – Where the numbers hold no value. We are living in a world where numbers hold no value and words have no meaning.

Fabric Rebate Item Amendment
On October 16, the South African Revenue Ser- vice (Sars) informed of the amendment of two rebate items for textile fabrics used in the manu- facture of upholstered furniture, for which the extent of the rebate of the ordinary customs duty remain – full duty. The application, lodged by the Textile Federation of South Africa (Textfed), was initiated on February 20 and took 238 days, or nearly eight months, to complete.

The application proposed the amendment of rebate items 320.01/5407.61/01.06, 320.01/ 5903.20.90/01.08, and 320.01/5907.00.90/01.08, but the tariff amendment does not make refer- ence to rebate item 320.01/5407.61/01.06. According to the application, the Textfed has major difficulties with the wording, scope and coverage of the three qualifying fabrics under the rebate provision in the form that they were introduced, as there are fabrics that are manu- factured locally that meet the description of the qualifying fabrics in the rebate provision.

The amendments relate to the removal of “impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with polyurethane” in rebate item 320.01/ 5903.20.90/01.08, replacing these words with “commonly known as imitation leather, laminated with polyurethane”, and the removal of the words “otherwise impregnated, coated or covered”, replacing them with “commonly known as imitation leather backed with bonded leather”.

Rebate Item 320.01/5903.20.90/01.08 reads: “Other textile fabrics impregnated, coated, cov- ered or laminated with polyurethane, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Admini- stration Commission may allow by specific permit, for use in the manufacture of upholstered furniture classifiable under tariff heading 94.01.”

Rebate Item 320.01/5907.00.90/01.08 reads: “Textile fabrics otherwise impregnated, coated or covered, in such quantities, at such times and subject to such conditions as the International Trade Administration Commission may allow by specific permit for use in the manufacture of upholstered furniture classifiable under tariff heading 94.01.”

TDCA Export Permits
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has published a notice for the ‘Procedures for the Application, Administration and Allocation of Export Permits under the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of South Africa for the Year 2016’.

The TDCA, which came into effect on January 1, 2000, established a bilateral free trade agreement (the notice incorrectly states ‘area’) between the EU and South Africa, in accordance with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and the strengthening of EU development assistance to South Africa. As part of the concessions provided for under the TDCA, the EU has agreed to grant tariff preferences on specified products in the form of tariff quotas.

Applications for the quota permits are due by November 6 and will be valid from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016.

WTO Agricultural Permits
On October 9, the DAFF published a notice for the ‘Application of Market Access Permits for Agricultural Products in terms of the WTO Agreement For 2016’. The notice was published to fulfil South Africa’s commitment under the WTO’s Marrakesh Agreement regarding market access for agricultural products. The import permits to be applied for will only be issued to South African importers that are registered with the Department of Trade and Industry and Sars.

Applications for the first quarter of the quota, valid for importation for the period January 1, 2016, to April 30, 2016, are due by November 6, while applications for the second quarter of the quota, valid for importation for the period April 1, 2016, to July 31, 2016, will have to be submitted from February 1 to 28, 2016. Applications for the third quarter of the quota, valid for importation for the period July 1, 2016, to October 31, 2016, will have to be submitted from May 1 to 31, 2016, and those for the last quarter of the quota, valid for importation for the period October 1, 2016, to January 31, 2017, will need to be submitted from August 1 to 31, 2016.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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