Engineering News

State procurement will come under the spotlight at the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Commission’s annual conference, taking place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on March 15. 
 
The conference theme, Improving State Procurement for Real Empowerment, is aimed at finding effective ways in which the State can make BBBEE a reality for black South Africans and achieve the objectives of the BBBEE Act. 
  
“BBBEE can be used to bring about economic transformation and access to opportunities and markets by black people through procurement, grants, incentives, licensing and other concessions, and processes within the state must align fully with this purpose,” BBBEE commissioner Zodwa Ntuli said in a statement issued on Friday.
 
Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Gratitude Magwanishe emphasised the need to accelerate BBBEE, especially for the most marginalised groups such as black women, workers and young people, considering the opportunities that the BBBEE Act presents.
 
“Every organ of State and public entity must use procurement, incentives and grants more effectively to drive economic empowerment to support more black entrepreneurs and enterprises that can also deliver the job opportunities required by our economy,” he said.
 
It is expected that the conference will provide guidance on the requirements of the BBBEE Act, development of internal procedures to support compliance, reporting requirements, ways to identify noncompliance and fronting practices, as well as alignment between procurement and BBBEE requirements.