Hon Chairperson, hon members, the Bill before us is the result of the Department of Trade and Industry's endeavour to restructure South Africa's technical regulatory infrastructure and to optimise its standards, quality assurance, accreditation and metrology system.
Quality assurance, as members know from their constituency work, is important in a number of areas, from bread and butter, to bricks and cement. For instance, in the construction industry some unscrupulous building contractors continue to use substandard bricks and cement when building houses for the poor, with the result that these dwellings often collapse and cause deaths, serious injury and damage to property. With clear standards, quality assurance and stringent enforcement procedures, the days of the unscrupulous operator will be numbered.
The Bill further provides a framework to establish the SA National Accreditation System as a national accreditation body that is internationally recognised for calibration, conformity assessment and good laboratory practice.
It is envisaged that as the economic integration of the Southern African Development Community takes place and leads to greater growth and development, Sanas will have a crucial role to play in the region, and also in the context of the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development.
The ANC supports the passage of this Bill through Parliament. I thank you. [Applause.]