Sanas to wrap up BEE rating criteria

Siseko Njobeni

Trade and Industry Correspondent

THE South African National Accreditation System (Sanas), the national accreditation body, is finalising the criteria to be used to accredit black economic empowerment verification agencies.

The accreditation of the verification agencies is intended to bring consistency in the way the agencies evaluate the empowerment credentials of companies.

Until now, agencies have been using different methods and systems.

In terms of the what is known as “statement 020” of the black economic empowerment codes of good practice, verification agencies must be accredited.

Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa announced earlier this week that Sanas, a section 21 company reporting to the trade and industry department, would accredit all the country’s verification agencies.

Sanas executive director Sean MacCurtain said yesterday a committee made up of representatives from Business Unity SA (Busa), Sanas, verification agencies and the department were on the brink of finalising the criteria for the accreditation of verification agencies.

“We expect the criteria to be ready by the end of this month. That means the agencies can apply (for accreditation) at the beginning of August,” he said.

The agencies have to seek accreditation within 180 days after empowerment codes are published in the Government Gazette.

The codes are still to be finalised and published in the Government Gazette.

Some of the well-known verification agencies include Empowerdex, Empowerlogic, National Empowerment Rating Agency and Verify Solutions.

MacCurtain said no agencies had been accredited yet.

Theo Lombard, a director at Empowerlogic, yesterday said: “The accreditation will ensure that the market has confidence in the work of the agencies”.

Speaking after a meeting with a Busa delegation earlier this week, Mpahlwa said government had no intention to sideline verification agencies.

“We are not going to close the space for them. That is not our brief,” Mpahlwa said.

Source: www.southafrica.info , 14 Jul 2006