(1) Whether there are tariff exemptions on goods imported with the intention of doing humanitarian work; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) Whether there are any (a) provisions within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) agreements that prevent the tariffs from being removed and (b) future plans within his department to remove tariffs on goods that are intended for humanitarian use; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Provision is made under Schedule 4 of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964, that allows for tariff exemptions on goods imported under certain circumstances, including for charitable and welfare organisations. Attention is drawn on rebate item 405.04 as an example of this. The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) administers this provision to ensure that local jobs are not negatively affected and that markets are ...
Whether his department has invested or intends to invest money in the Highveld Industrial Park near Emalahleni in Mpumalanga; if so, (a) what amount (i) was spent in the previous financial year and (ii) does his department intend to spend in the next financial year, (b) what number of (i) new businesses are assisted and (ii) new jobs are created in the project and (c) what (i) development and (ii) support measures is his department planning for entrepreneurs who are interested to start-up businesses in the industrial park? NW1767E
The departments of Trade and Industry and Economic Development have not invested money in the Highveld Industrial Park. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) provided loan funding to the structural steel mill located at Highveld Industrial Park during Business Rescue.
The Industrial Park currently has 51 tenants and 1 141 are jobs created.
Government through the IDC, sefa and the various incentive schemes on offer ...
(1) What (a) total amount has been set aside for the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone destined to improve the lives of the communities beyond the southern border of the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga and (b) are the relevant details of the individual projects that make up the specified amount;
(2) What (a) will his department’s perceived total contribution towards the economic hub be and (b) time frames are envisaged for the project;
(3) Whether his department is aware of the proposed mining project on 18 000 hectares of prime property, which is destined to interfere with his department’s plans; if so, what are his departments intentions in this regard;
(4) Whether he will make a statement on the matter?
Funding is allocated on approved applications received. In the case of the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the Province of Mpumalanga is currently establishing an SEZ company to develop, plan and operate the Economic Zone. One of the responsibilities of the entity will be to develop an SEZ implementation plan with clear timelines. The Province has been given twelve (12) months to establish a ...
Which South African companies with manufacturing capacity in the Republic are able to produce (a) train carriages and (b) train lines?
A number of companies, both domestic and foreign-owned, have local manufacturing or related factories in South Africa. The following are some of the key local companies that assemble; refurbish; and/ or maintain locomotives, wagons and passenger trains:
- Transnet Engineering (TE) manufactures, refurbishes and maintains all classes of rail rolling stock at its various facilities across South Africa.2
- Gibela Rail Consortium is manufacturing the new ...
Whether the Government subsidises in any way the (a) import and/or (b) production of electric vehicles; if not, why not in each case; if so, in each case, what (i) are the relevant details, (ii) number of companies involved in the import or production of electric vehicles receive such subsidies and (iii) is the current volume of electric vehicles (aa) produced locally and (bb) imported?
Support for the importation and production of motor vehicles, under which electric vehicles would ordinarily fall, is covered under the Automotive Production and Development Program (APDP).
Under the APDP, light motor vehicles including electric vehicles can be imported into the country with the use of rebate credit certificates earned. Such certificates allow the importer to offset import duties, where the importer assembles vehicles locally. ...
What (a) number of official international trips is (i) he and (ii) his deputies planning to undertake in the 2019-22 medium term expenditure framework, (b) will the (i) destination, (ii) date, (iii) purpose and (iv) number of persons who will travel with the delegation be and (c) is the detailed breakdown of the expected cost of (i) flights, (ii) accommodation and (iii) any other expenses in each case?
The Ministry is required to undertake international travel to carry out the core mandate on trade, industry and competition. These will normally focus on areas such as export promotion, investment promotion and showcasing South African products and companies, participation at Summits with economic partners, participation in international trade negotiations, attendance at multilateral economic engagements and bilateral relations missions and promoting economic South Africa’s interests. ...
What (a) has he found to be the causes of the Republic’s decline in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report from position 32 in 2009 to position 82 in 2019 and (b) steps has his department taken to ensure that the Republic turns around its continued decline?
The rankings of countries in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business are a relative measure in that it measures a country’s performance relative to the number of regulatory changes that other countries have undertaken. Johannesburg is used as the proxy for South Africa.
While South Africa has undertaken some reforms over the past decade, its ranking declined over the period. As the World ...
(1) (a) What amount has been spent to date on the Industrial Parks Revitalisation Programme run by his department, (b) what concessions by provincial or local governments for businesses that have invested in the parks have been secured to date, (c) what incentives are available for businesses that (i) are conducted in the parks and (ii) want to invest in the parks, (d) what investment promotion is done by his department for businesses in the parks, (e) what support does his department provide to businesses that have invested in or plan to invest in the parks and (f)(i) what new businesses have invested in the parks since the programme began and (ii) to what value;
(2) whether there is a business plan available for the programme; if not, why not; if so, will he provide Mr D W Macpherson with a copy of the business plan? NW1367E
I am advised by the Department that the industrial parks initiative will be scaled up, based on work that has been done to date; and I have been furnished with the information that follows:
To date (until 31 March 2019) the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) has spent R 511 million on the Industrial Parks Revitalisation Programme.
No concessions have been made ...
(1)(a) Whether, with regard to the testing of electrical equipment by the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS), the high voltage laboratory is functional, (b) what number of tests on individual electoral equipment has SABS conducted over the past seven years, (c) what income has been generated from the tests, (d) what number of persons work on the electoral equipment testing facility and (e) what is the annual cost of running the unit;
(2) whether any equipment in the unit needs to be (a) repaired and/or (b) replaced; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) which equipment in each case and (ii) what is the estimated cost in each case?
I am advised by the SABS as follows:
The high voltage laboratory is currently functional, though with capabilities principally in alternating current testing.
The number of test reports conducted by the facility for the past seven years is provided in the following table:
|
Financial year
|
Number of reports
|
|
2012/13
|
149
|
|
2013/14
|
108
|
|
2014/15
|
110
|
|
2015/16
|
80
|
|
2016/17
|
76
|
|
2017/18
|
47
|
|
2018/19
|
50
|
The income ...
By what date will he release the report to the public of the investigation into allegations of corruption at the Competition Commission which he commissioned in or around February 2019?
Following consultations between the National Treasury and the Economic Development Department, an investigation on the issues that were raised by the Auditor-General as findings in the 2017/18 Financial Year Audit was conducted.
The investigations are not yet completed. On completion of the investigation, the findings will be made public.
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