DEVELOPING A HIGH VELOCITY DELIVERY MACHINE BY BONANG MOHALE | THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
“ In the final analysis, business must ask itself truly courageous questions” More must be done in helping labour to become ‘fit-for-
challenging conversations with members. The IMF and
the-future’, rotating them more towards skills training,
others have highlighted competition issues in SA as an
member welfare etc. And much more suited to the Just
area that needs focus for more dynamism. The end-goal
Energy Transition and 4IR (fourth industrial revolution) ,
should be a focus on SMEs and labour growth.
in wanting more workers in unions that care about the unemployed and their members welfare as opposed to
As the Climate Bill makes its way into parliament,
just status quo and wages. This would mean some give
business must think of what comes out of the other side.
and take overall to shift the labour conversation.
Climate affects the country as a whole, the private sector and individual businesses will have to adhere
We need to encourage a deeper conversation about
to it, so that all converge towards net zero emissions.
barriers to entry and barriers to entrepreneurship. The
The process of this trickling down is going to be hugely
broader mindset change is to view the conversations
complex and needs significant negotiation resources, as
about ease of doing business and lowering barriers
well as intellectual and modelling capabilities.
as a better and more sustainable path. It should link closely with the industrial policy work and a move away
The negotiation and coordination function is going to
from just sectoral master plans that mandate certain
land firmly with all social partners given the nature of
SME involvement. We must be explicit that dynamic
Nedlac. We will all have to think carefully about how
economies should have a majority of employment in SMEs.
we can undertake such coordination and cross-sector negotiations with government, that balance various
We have to shift focus to industrial and trade policy as
interests, play to fairness and have member buy-in. At
a process. This should include incentive programmes
issue here is the fact that the outcomes of the Climate Bill
(for value for money and structure and if they are fit for
will mean, in effect, that binding envelopes are pushed
the future) as well as trade policy. The focus should be
from top down. We see this process starting at a very high
on how the DTIC (Department of Trade, Industry and
level through 2022 before the Bill reaches assent but the
Competition) can better support current and emerging
actual negotiations will start from 2023. The country should
industries. Also, how we go about making it more nimble
use this time to get its ducks in a row on the issues and
- the institution and the legal and policy framework it
start to socialise these issue with all stakeholders, consider
feeds off. It would include all factors that affect the ease
and put in place the right capacity.
of doing business and how DTIC can become an enabler. In the final analysis, business must ask itself truly courageous The aim is to make industrial policy a positive intervention.
questions: How does business benefit the rest of South
We have seen the Competition Act’s mandate grow
Africa, not just a select few? How does it conduct its
from fostering competition in the economy, to an
business in an ethical, humane and transparent way? Is
interventionist public-interest mechanism. Public-interest
the management structure of business broadly reflective
considerations should be addressed by the wider
of the demographics and does it contribute towards the
legislative agenda, rather than shoehorning them into
upliftment of the stakeholders it serves?
the competition law that focuses on the moment of transactions between company owners.
.... and like a hawk, monitor the implementation of these. Business needs a significant intervention to steer itself back!
There are genuine competition issues that should be the
It is incongruent to talk about a just society when business
focus of competition legislation and Busa can play a role
is still perceived to be at the apex of injustice. This needs
in moving the spotlight back to these. This will involve
incisive, bold leadership that only business itself can bring.
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