The changes with BEE that have been the talk for quite some time now will be implemented in 2015.
Below, John Long of Veld Cooper lists a couple of changes that will have an effect on BEE compliance:
– The Revised Codes of Good Practice will be implemented as from 1 May 2015 and all certificates issued after this date have to be based on these new Codes.
– Public Entities and Organs of the State by law will only be allowed to procure from Suppliers that are B-BBEE compliant.
– The Verification Process will be extended in that Verification Agencies will submit all their client files to the DTI for final sign off. It is foreseen to be a similar arrangement as SARS with the Accounting/Audit industry. Expect bottlenecks here and confusion before you will get your certificate once this is implemented. They will probably only start realising the impact of this once implemented which will lead to time delays and frustration. It will certainly be worth considering getting your verification done before this applies.
– The B-BBEE Commissioner will be appointed on the 31 March 2015 and his role will be mainly to combat and deal with fronting in the industry. It is recommended that you check your current situation if Black Ownership applies in your business to prevent your company being at risk.
– A Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report will be compulsory for the Skills Development Element. Together with this, it will be imperative that Generic companies implement Learnerships and Internships. This is the only way to potentially score full points for this element, and remember that training of South African Black people does not necessarily mean people who are employed by you. We are still waiting for clarity from the DTI on Learnerships and Internships for QSE companies.