Ruiters
Leonard Neill
THE VOICE of business in South Africa is not being heard at government level, and this is essential to stimulate a vibrant economy, says Alistair Ruiters, director general of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The business community is absent when it comes to debates at parliamentary committee level, even though the trade unions and the SA Communist Party are there, he told a breakfast gathering of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sandton last week
"There is an open invitation to business, as for everyone else, to attend these debates, but the people most affected by decisions taken are not in attendance," he said. "We at DTI have a vision for development for the next 10 years, but when this is discussed there is no voice to offer suggestions or counter what we are proposing.
"Business in general needs efficiencies and less red tape. It has to engage government so that we can formulate collective issues for the future."
Responding to a complaint from the floor that there were no apparent invitations being extended, Ruiters said these were open forums, that the invitation was published in the national press, and that communication with his department would enable those in business to attend whenever suitable.
"We need an enterprising economy to improve the standard of living in South Africa. We know what we are striving for, but often our vision is not entirely the ideal one or the successful one. Frankly an economy should function in a way that it meets the needs of the average citizen."
Household incomes in South Africa are declining, and only by improving the export drive can the domestic income levels be raised, he said.
