Новости за 19.05.2021

Recovery from the decline in the economies of Southern African countries as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has been rapid since the worst-felt period of 2020’s lockdowns and consequent shutting of economies, economic research institution Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies senior economist Neva Makgetla said on May 19. For the whole of 2020, Southern Africa’s regional gross domestic product growth was about 6% below that of 2019, with available evidence indicating that the pandemic depression aggravated inequalities in the region.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's (Unctad's) latest Global Trade Update shows that global trade’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis reached a record high in the first quarter of this year, increasing by 10% year-on-year and 4% quarter-on-quarter, largely fuelled by trade in goods while, in contrast, trade in services continued to lag behind. The rebound is expected to continue into the second quarter, with the value of global trade in goods and services forecast to reach $6.6-trillion... Читать дальше...

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) says it supports unrestricted access to travel for vaccinated travellers. In cases where vaccination is not possible, access to quarantine-free travel should be provided through Covid-19 testing strategies based on widely available, free-of-charge tests, it adds. Accepting vaccinated passengers should be global best practice to reopen borders, and Iata has applauded the growing number of countries making "data and evidence-driven decisions" to open their borders to vaccinated travellers.

The Competition Commission has launched its Online Intermediation Platforms Market Inquiry that covers online markets that facilitate transactions between businesses and consumers for the sale of goods, services and software to understand online markets in South Africa. Online intermediation platforms include e-commerce market places, online classified market places, software application stores and intermediated services such as accommodation, travel, transport and food delivery.

JSE-listed Dangote Cement South Africa, trading as Sephaku Cement (SepCem), has announced the passing away of Pieter Fourie on May 19. Fourie was the CEO of SepCem and a nonexecutive director of parent company Sephaku Holdings (SepHold).

Information technology services company EOH on May 19 said it has taken note of the intention expressed by political party the Democratic Alliance (DA) to take legal action against previous EOH management and related parties implicated in wrongdoing. It stated that it welcomes this move and that of any other interested parties willing to support the efforts by the new EOH board to right the wrongs of the past.

A strong call for unemployed geology graduates to be contracted to capture historic exploration data electronically has been made by Letaba Elihle Investments (LEI) principal geology consultant Siphelele (Siphe) Ntshangase. In a Zoom interview with Mining Weekly Ntshangase also called on South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to:

The engineering industry, as the primary designer and implementer of solutions, must advocate its priorities and secure its place and role in decision-making to benefit the public, businesses and society through effective infrastructure, says American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) transportation programmes director Matt Reiffer. Engineering organisations, especially, are central in encouraging, enabling and empowering engineers or engineering company members to raise their opinions with... Читать дальше...

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala joined household appliance manufacturer Defy in launching its R170-million warehouse, in Ladysmith, on May 19. The facility, based in Danskraal near Ladysmith, has capacity to load and unload more than 200 trucks a day and a storage capacity of 100 000 m3 of product.

Print solutions company Lebone Litho Printers’ infrastructure and technological investments, as well as its skills development and small, medium-sized and microenterprise focus, are engendering benefits for the company. Tasneem Bulbulia tells us more.

Kenya Electricity Generating Co, Africa’s geothermal pioneer, plans to raise $1.95-billion to build new, and upgrade existing plants in a bid to almost double its power output from the renewable fuel. KenGen, as the Kenyan State-owned company is known, plans to add 651 MW from underground steam in the next five years, said Cyrus Karingithi, an assistant manager for resource development and infrastructure. Most of the funds will be sought from development financiers, Karingithi said in an interview... Читать дальше...

The Water Research Commission (WRC) is embarking on an ambitious programme to ensure the effective siltation management and improved storage capacity of 320 State-owned, Department of Water and Sanitation- (DWS-) managed large dams. The three-year National Dam Siltation Management Strategy in South Africa, or NatSilt, project, was launched during a two-day virtual WRC NatSilt Symposium from May 19 to 20, after the WRC was appointed by the DWS to manage and implement the project.

Renewable energy company Enel Green Power South Africa country manager William Price comments that, despite the delays experienced with the procurement of capacity under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), he is not surprised by the country’s continuous project development in the renewable energy space. He notes that this is driven by high utility price increases, the continuation of load-shedding and the ever-increasing demand for energy.

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has warned that defence cuts are severely affecting the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), while security within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region has deteriorated. She was addressing the House of Assembly on Tuesday. She pointed out that the more than R15-billion cut in the defence budget over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework was causing great difficulties for her department. “Our capital budget... Читать дальше...

With the current wage and working condition agreement in the metals and engineering sector close to expiration, it was agreed at the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council management committee meeting on May 18 that the main agreement wages and conditions of employment negotiations will formally get under way on June 3 and 4 to create a new agreement. The current main agreement concluded between the relevant trade unions and the Steel and Engineering Industry’s Federation of Southern... Читать дальше...

The East London Industrial Development Zone (Elidz) says it “welcomes” a probe into allegations of corruption and maladministration by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) if the authorities “deem it worthwhile to put resources into these allegations once more”. The new SIU investigation comes a year after a judgment was issued in a court case that lasted more than four years, where the same allegations were probed, and the judgment handed down “vindicated the Elidz from any wrongdoing”, the organisation states.

In her address to the National Assembly on Tuesday, introducing the debate for her 2021 budget vote, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula warned the assembled parliamentarians that defence cuts were endangering the country’s defence industry. The State-owned defence industrial group Denel was in particular danger. “If we are honest with ourselves, we now face the reality that if we do not intervene in a decisive manner, we will lose our State-owned defence industrial base and the ability to repair... Читать дальше...

The Department of Telecommunications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has tabled a budget of R3.7-billion for the 2021/22 financial year, with seven priorities outlined for the year ahead. The Broadcasting Digital Migration (BDM); the release of spectrum; an infrastructure investment and mass employment programme; the Digital Economy Masterplan and its implementation; digital and future skills; the reindustrialisation of the economy with focus on small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs); and... Читать дальше...

There is a need to dispel the misconception that sustainability and procurement struggle to coexist and are not complementary of one other, beverage company Distell South Africa sustainability group head Eric Leong Son said during day one of Smart Procurement World’s Sustainability Summit Africa on May 18. He emphasised the need for organisations to reflect on the culture from the top, with a proper belief system needing to be embedded.

Rescuing tourism from pandemic 'devastation' is priority for the next year The main focus of the Department of Tourism during the current financial year will be on the implementation of the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said during her department’s budget vote presentation to Parliament on Tuesday.