Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Business Pointers >> June 2002
• National funds for local government: The national government has gazetted about R30 billion in local government grants that will be paid to SA's 284 local authorities over the next three financial years. This is almost double the amount gazetted last year. The allocations are in line with the national government policy of enhancing certainty, predictability and transparency of transfers from national to local government. The multiyear allocations should assist municipalities with planning and the introduction of three-year budget processes at local government level.
• Amerikaners sien groot moontlikhede in Afrika: Die Amerikaanse adjunk-direkteur van buitelandse sake in Afrika, mnr. Walter Kansteiner, het in Washington gesê hy is na 'n onlangse reis na Suid-Afrika en ander Afrika-lande meer as ooit oortuig dat Afrika se heil in die privaatsektor lê. “Ons enigste gevolgtrekking was dat die private sektor in Afrika gereed staan vir besigheid. Hulle is reg om te ruk en rol. Ons het intelligente, weldeurdagte besigheidsplanne gesien - 'n aanduiding van waartoe Afrika in staat kan wees,” het hy gesê. Volgens Kansteiner het die hawens van Suider-Afrika verlede jaar 40% meer goedere na Amerika verskeep as in 2000. Suid-Afrikaanse uitvoer na Amerika wat vir AGOA-toegewings gekwalifiseer het, het verlede jaar $700 miljoen beloop. Algehele Suid-Afrikaanse uitvoer na Amerika was verlede jaar 'n rekord $4,4 miljard. Mnr. Kansteiner het egter ook gewaarsku dat kapitaal 'n lafaard is: Sakelui en beleggers wil weet hul geld gaan veilig wees en 'n wins lewer voordat hulle belê.
• Brain drain loss as high as 30%: Africa is losing as much as $4 billion a year through professionals seeking better jobs abroad, according to research by a senior economist at Addis Ababa University, Dr. Dejene Aredo, who has found that 20 000 professionals each year leave the continent for new jobs in the West. In a paper presented at the Organization of Social Science Research in East Africa (OSSERA), Dr. Aredo said the brain drain is seriously hampering the continent's development. “It is a problem, because there is a huge deficit of manpower in developing countries. For every 100 professionals sent abroad for further training between 1982 and 1997, 35 failed to return home.”
• Afrika weskus met ontsaglike potensiaal: Beleggings van miljarde dollar in die olievelde aan die weskus van Afrika bied ontsaglike geleenthede vir Suid-Afrika en spesifiek die Wes-Kaap, het dr. Ewald Wessels van Cape Manufacturing Engineers, op die bekenstelling van Unctad se jongste verslag oor handel en ontwikkeling in Kaapstad gesê. Volgens dr. Wessels gaan net die olievelde van Angola na raming in die volgende paar jaar beleggings van $40 miljard (R420 miljard) lok. Gevolglik is daar mense wat meen dat olieproduksie in Afrika suid van die Sahara binne 10 jaar dié van die Arabiese wêreld gaan verbysteek.
• Cape Town first with prepayment for water: Cape Town is in line to become the first city in South Africa to introduce prepayment for water. A pilot project is with 132 homes in the sub-economic area of Klipheuwel already being run, while a second pilot project in a middle-income area of Durbanville is on the cards. If the prepayment system is introduced more widely, consumers in the informal settlements without proper infrastructure will in future also be able to buy tokens and slot them into water standpipes. Three units are used in the system. The consumer takes a smartcard to the point-of-sale (the local store, for example) and buys a volume of water, then the card is inserted into the electronic prepayment unit, which communicates with an electronic unit in the meter box using radio frequency. A solenoid valve then opens and water is dispensed.
• MWU mobiliseer koopkrag: MWU Solidariteit is besig met 'n “Afrikaner-bemagtingsaksie” waarmee die vakbond homself wil omskep tot 'n breë bemagtigingsbeweging wat 'n netwerk van dienstemaatskappye bedryf vir onder meer gesondheidsorg, aftree-voorsiening, opleiding en finansiële dienste. Die vakbond het onlangs in Pretoria aangekondig dat dit onder meer die koopkrag van sy lede, wat op sowat R12 miljard per jaar bereken word, as bedingingsmeganisme wil gebruik om werkskepping, maatskaplike hulp vir armes en bekostigbare mediese sorg te beding. MWU Solidariteit het reeds met o.a. Alexander Forbes, Protector Health, Absa Health, Santam en Coris Capital ooreenkomste gesluit om die bestuur van vakbondlede se aftreefondse en mediese fondse oor te neem. Solidariteit is ook besig om Cosatu-geaffilieerde vakbonde in dieselfde bedryfsektore te help om dieselfde te doen. MWU kyk ook na 'n eie opleidingsmaatskappy, 'n kommunikasie-maatskappy, 'n arbeidsmakelary en 'n regsdienste-maatskappy.
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