Madam Chair, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, the object of the Measurement Units and Measurement Standards Bill, 2006, and the Accreditation for Conformity Assessment, Calibration and Good Laboratory Practice Bill is to align and restructure South African technical infrastructure with international best practice. Part of the restructuring is the reconstitution of the SA National Accreditation System, Sanas, which currently operates as a section 21 company.
These two Bills are responsible for a wide range of functions, for example the accreditation, calibration, testing and verification of laboratories, scientific inspection bodies that comply with the International Organisation for Economic Co-operation, and the Development Unit.
The DA supports both these two Bills, which are highly technical. They both provide for a board with executive and nonexecutive members. I appeal to the hon Minister to appoint members to these boards with specific competence and with knowledge that will add value to these particular bodies.
Die internasionale meting van metrologiese eenhede word dikwels deur ontwikkelde ekonomie gebruik om hul markte te sluit vir produkte wat van ontwikkelende lande afkomstig sou wees, as gevolg van die feit dat die produkte nie aan internasionale metingsvereistes sou voldoen nie, of onredelik ho tariewe word op hierdie goedere gehef. Hierdie wetsontwerpe stel Suid-Afrika en die SAOG-lande in staat om, sal ons s, onregverdige handelspraktyke te verminder.
Die belangrikheid van die twee wetsontwerpe is dat die wetenskaplike infrastruktuur onderhou en vergroot word, wat Suid-Afrika as die grootste ekonomie in Afrika maar ook in die SAOG-lande in staat sal stel om in 'n toenemende mate aan metingsvereistes rakende uitvoere in 'n kompeterende, globale mark te kan voldoen.
Vergun my ook die geleentheid om die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid, die Portefeuljekomitee oor Handel en Nywerheid se amptenare, en veral die persone wat gemoeid was met die finalisering van hierdie wetsontwerpe te bedank. Ek dink dit is 'n sprekende voorbeeld van waar die belange van Suid- Afrika eerste gestel is.
Werklike langtermyn ekonomiese vooruitgang kan slegs plaasvind indien dit op 'n wetenskaplik gefundeerde, internasionaal geakkrediteerde metingsinfrastruktuur geskoei is, en in wese beteken dit dat hierdie wetsontwerpe die kwaliteitstruktuur en -kultuur van die Suid-Afrikaanse metingbedryf sal verbeter. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The international measurement of metrological units is often used by developed economies to shut their markets to products suspected of coming from developing countries, due to the fact that these products apparently do not comply with international measurement standards, or these products are subjected to unreasonably high tariffs. This Bill enables South Africa and the SADC countries to, shall we say, limit unfair trade practices.
The importance of these two Bills is that the scientific infrastructure is maintained and expanded, which in turn enables South Africa, as the largest economy in Africa but also in the SADC countries, to comply increasingly with the measurement standards required for exports in a competitive and global market.
Furthermore, allow me the opportunity to thank the Department of Trade and Industry, the officials of the Portfolio Committee of Trade and Industry and especially those who were involved with the finalising of this Bill. I think it is telling proof of where the interests of South Africa were placed first.
Real long-term economic advancement can only be realised if based on scientific, internationally accredited measurement infrastructure and in essence it means that these Bills will improve the quality structure and culture of the South African measurement industry. I thank you.]