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Transport Regulations - FIFA World Cup |
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Chris Hani Enterprise Development Project Starts |
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In 2009 the Border Kei Chamber of Business in Queenstown applied for funding from Thina Sinako for the Chris Hani Enterprise Propeller. This project, with an estimated cost of around R1.6 Million and a duration time of two years, has been approved and this project commences in 2010.
The Chris Hani Enterprise Propeller is a joint initiative for the Border-Kei Chamber of Business and the Chris Hani District Municipality. The aim is to support the networking and strengthening of local enterprises to compete for a share of the municipal procurement spend within the district, thereby increasing the amount of money that is spent within the Chris Hani District.
The overall objective is to promote the more effective leveraging of municipal procurement in the Chris Hani District for LED (Local Economic Development) by favourably positioning local firms and increasing their capacity for successfully competing in the tender process. This will result in increasing the volume of money spent by government and corporate companies in the Chris Hani District.
In the Chris Hani District more than R2.5 billion is spent annually on goods and services with approximately 80% of this money leaving the district. This is due to the fact that local suppliers possibly do not have the relevant skills or are inadequately capacitated to apply for tenders. As such, it is found that Government as well as corporate companies / established businesses will look outside of the District, as the services or products required can be sourced faster as well as at a cheaper price. This does not contribute positively to the growth of local enterprises or to the economic development of the region. There is therefore a strong need for a dynamic LED intervention, led by a partnership between the public and private sector, that will assist in addressing the biggest constraint of SMMEs (Small Medium and Micro Enterprises), that being able to enter into the main economic arena.
The specific objective is to establish an Enterprise Propeller of excellence that will support emerging and established enterprises in the Chris Hani District, allowing them to compete more effectively for municipal tenders by providing them with quality business advice, information and mentoring services, as well as facilitating more effective linkages between them.
It is believed that many SMMEs will visit the Chris Hani Enterprise Propeller each quarter (over the funded period of 24 months), while it is expected that approximately 50 SMMEs will make use of the services offered. Once the project becomes entrenched in the Chris Hani region, it is expected that this number will increase. Therefore, over a 24 month period, it is expected that at least 400 SMMEs will make use of the services offered by the project. Though it is difficult to forecast the possible increase in the ratio of money spend in the region, one expects an increase of at least 10%. This will be a catalyst to exponentially increase the circulation of money in the region. This ‘multiplier effect’ will lead to significantly higher volumes of internal money in the long run.
The final beneficiaries include the members of the Border Kei Chamber of Business, the Chris Hani District Municipality and the 8 local municipalities that operate in the district, and ultimately, the broader Chris Hani community. Border Kei Chamber of Business members will benefit from a stronger business environment and a broader and more competitive base of local suppliers and purchasers. If the project is properly constructed and managed, the Local Municipalities and the District Municipality will benefit from best practice in terms of enabling small and emerging firms to compete for and deliver effective public tenders. This will be translated into better services and goods. Increased taxes will be collected as a result of increased business activity, thereby strengthening the revenue base for effective service delivery by government. A stronger local economy will create additional enterprise and investment opportunities that will create further employment and further increase the amount of money in local circulation.
This is certainly a good start to 2010 and a good outlook for the Chris Hani District. We, the Border Kei in Queenstown, will keep you informed through future Hi-Lite editions regarding the process and our experience …. |
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CHAMBER WELCOMES B-BBEE PROJECT COORDINATOR
The Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) is pleased to welcome Verdra Brown as co-ordinator of the BKCOB’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) project.
The project established in conjunction with the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA) and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) aims to mainstream B-BBEE in the formal economy through opportunity identification and matching.
This is achieved through communicating the state of play in B-BBEE legislation and the maintenance of a database of B-BBEE suppliers and their services.
Brown’s background includes working in marketing at the Walter Sisulu University and running her own marketing company Sugarberry which focusses on a small to medium business client base and facilitating their development through marketing . Her services to them have brought her into contact with a range of entrepreneurial development agencies including the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the Small Enterprise Development Agency.
“There is a lot of ground-work that has been done in terms of the project’s objectives and solid foundations have been laid. I intend to build on these and maintain the project’s momentum. Broadly this will done through optimizing the existing linkages and growing the database that has been established, as well as the dissemination and access to relevant information to translate the spirit of B-BBEE into the necessary broadening of the economic base,” Brown said.
“I believe my knowledge of the challenges and aspirations of small business will assist the project to facilitate small business’ access to the mainstream economy which is what B-BBEE legislations seeks to achieve.”
For more details on how members and non-members alike can benefit please contact Verdra Brown on 043 743 8438.
NEW- Click here to download a copy of the BBBEE thedti Executive Summary |
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Operations & Marketing Committee |
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This committee provides operational strategic direction to Chamber Executive Director Les Holbrook and his staff in two offices i.e. East London and Queenstown. |
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This committee includes members involved in the hospitality trade, travel industry, public relations and Buffalo City Municipality. The Tourism Committee has two sub-committees, those of Sports Tourism, and the Travel Forum recently launched. |
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