Alan Peat
THE CAPE Town Chamber of Commerce is about to launch the country's first public/private sector Export Development Centre (EDC).
This is being monitored by the Department of Trade & Industry as the national pilot project for the EDC scheme - to determine the development of similar centres around the country.
This, said the CT chamber's c.e.o. Albert Schuitmaker, has followed lean years of export advice and assistance for aspirant exporters - this since the demise of Safto (SA Foreign Trade Organisation).
The proposed EDC is essentially an institution designed to help emerging exporters from small, medium or large companies, added Schuitmaker. It will be a link for the exporter with all the appropriate business sectors - forwarders, transporters, logistics providers, financial institutions and the like, he said.
It will effectively co-ordinate all the various activities, and link them into the exporter's needs.
The Chamber currently has the full blueprint in place, Schuitmaker added. Now, he told FTW, we need the private sector funding. We need to go out and sell the idea.
A budget of R600 000 is needed for the first year of operation of the EDC.
A third of this has already been committed by the Cape provincial government - which are partners in the scheme. What is now needed is R200 000 from the private sector - a financial injection which will qualify for matching finance from the DoT&I.
Said Schuitmaker: We are not necessarily expecting all this from one private sector source.
We need to look for a number of smaller sponsorships - all sustainable for three years.
Possible investors he sees amongst the financial institutions, transport companies and big exporters.
The EDC is to be a Section 21 (non-profit-making) company - with all the stakeholders represented on the board.
The chamber's involvement Schuitmaker sees as logical. Some 60% of our business at the chamber is export related anyway, he said. We see it as an extension of this service - designed to provide enormous benefits to the awakening potential of our export industry.
It will need to be based on sustainability, and quality service.
For further information contact Schuitmaker or Jeannie Taljard at the Chamber.
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