HOPEWELL RADEBE
MOST agricultural businesses either have a
valid broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) scorecard or are in the
process of updating it, a big improvement from previous surveys in 2007 and
2009, when agri-businesses trailed other sectors.
Reporting on the Agbiz 2012 Agribusiness BEE
Survey, the Agricultural Business Chamber’s economic intelligence and finance
manager, Lindie Stroebel, told the chamber’s congress on Wednesday that the
latest figures showed increasing levels of understanding of empowerment and
general support for it in large and small agribusinesses.
While the larger businesses which had
invested into structures take care of compliance, the survey showed that the
smaller ones had less capacity and were finding it difficult to maintain
compliance. The survey identified some constraints, including difficulties in
implementing employment equity plans and finding suitably qualified managers.
It also found that the lack of support from government and regulatory bodies
was limiting progress.
Ms Stroebel said businesses had identified
their role in socioeconomic development as their highest priority, followed by
their preparedness to assist in black enterprise development, then skills
development and lastly giving preferential procurement to black enterprises. In
the 2007 and 2009 surveys, skills development of black staff for senior
positions was agribusiness’s main priority.
Vuyo Jack, chairman of empowerment rating
agency Empowerdex, said yesterday agribusiness should strive for a culture of
contributing towards sustainable development, rather than seeing it as a cost
burden. "BEE is not something you do once and forget, it is a process and
journey as opposed to just a destination," he said.
radebeh@bdfm.co.za
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