[ Home ]
[ Speeches & statements ]
MINISTER OMAR WELCOMES DECISION BY FORWARDING AND CLEARING SECTOR TO FINALLY TRANSFORM
The national Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar, welcomes the fact that the country's clearing and forwarding sector has finally recognised that it is not immune to the winds of transformation that are sweeping across every industry in South Africa. It is the national Department of Transport's (NDOT) view that any company or sector that refuses to embrace transformation will eventually find itself at a competitive disadvantage in the South African economy.
The clearing and forwarding sector has finally signalled its intention to work with stakeholders to develop a charter for the industry, after rejecting numerous invitations to do so over the past year. The Minister recognises that the industry is a critical part of the transport industry value chain. The industry is knowledge-intensive with relatively low capital barriers to entry, which should enable more rapid transformation than other sub-sectors within the transport industry.
At the beginning of the year, the NDOT embarked on a process to develop a Transport Sector Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Charter in collaboration with stakeholders in the aviation, maritime, bus, road freight, rail and bus industries. At every stage during the process, an invitation was sent to the clearing and forwarding industry as represented by the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF). Each time the SAAFF refused to participate. All stakeholders - including government, business and labour - decided that the process would go ahead, with or without the SAAFF.
Recently, stakeholders in the maritime industry have reached an historic agreement, the Maritime Transport Industry (MTI) BEE Charter. Suddenly, the clearing and forwarding industry has been galvanised into action to oppose what it calls "offensive proposals" in the Charter. The NDOT rejects the spirit in which these allegations have been made. We call on the industry to realise that BEE is an unstoppable process and that numerous stakeholders who have business dealings with the clearing and forwarding sector have been on board toward formulating BEE charters in other transport sub-sectors.
The Minister added that SAAFF needed to wake up and face the reality that they are living in the new South Africa.
Enquiries: Ndivhuwo Mabaya
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 082 908 0054
Issued by: Department of Transport
3 December 2003