WHEN DO WE SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

[tec0]

"Regulations" is a major player when it comes to instability not to mention bylaws and perhaps more importantly penalties. Everyone running a business knows there is no longer a sustainable free market system AND that said investors are packing their bags because regulations came to the point where they can no longer function.

It has also come to my attention that we are heavy importers of plastics and cheep electronics. Now these industries may look complicated at first but if you break it down it is really just another fabrication process.

South Africans are able to produce high end electronics. Plastic ware if anything we need to get rid of it because glass as a packaging material simply works better. So why are we importing almost ALL our electronics and why are we not using glass for the soft drink market? And yes it is a massif industry!

If you break it down South Africa is silicone rich and of the highest quality, so we can produce semiconductors and the like easily. Glass as packaging would be a big plus because it is sustainable; you can have 3 systems for example Glass makers, Recycling plants and a Reclaiming system.

Each of those 3 systems can create new jobs more importantly sustainable jobs. Thus effort is well worth the infrastructure. If we can get the soft drink producers to use glass only packaging it is a start. Once the system is started other companies can then utilize it for their individual needs.

So how can all of this be started? With a business related union. An entity so powerful that it can manipulate importing getting it down to the minimum and allow for local development programs to take effect. With a business union emplace regulations can be strong-armed to the point where both industrial and commercial industries can again function.

In my opinion it is worth a try.

[Newretailer]

I like the idea of a union for businesses.

I saw a friend of mine yesterday who moved back to Japan 7 years ago. She said that she could not believe how expensive it has become to live in South Africa compared to 7 years ago. Housing, electricity, food, transport, everything has become very expensive.

We are being milked for all we have, but the powers to be don't realise that the cow is just about dried up.

[SilverNodashi]

I like the idea of a union for businesses.

I saw a friend of mine yesterday who moved back to Japan 7 years ago. She said that she could not believe how expensive it has become to live in South Africa compared to 7 years ago. Housing, electricity, food, transport, everything has become very expensive.

We are being milked for all we have, but the powers to be don't realise that the cow is just about dried up.

Then you should try Germany or most of the other larger European countries. South Africa is still "cheap" compared to the countries we want to compare ourselves with.

[wynn]

The late George Carlin had the right idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgps85scy1g

[Dave A]

Then you should try Germany or most of the other larger European countries. South Africa is still "cheap" compared to the countries we want to compare ourselves with.

I don't know too much about pricing in Germany, but I've had reasonable exposure to typical prices in the UK and USA. And I suggest it depends what you're buying. You also need to factor in the average income.

When it comes to wheels, we're expensive compared to both the UK and the USA.
Fuel - UK is far more expensive than us, but the USA is far cheaper.
Tech stuff - we're getting ripped off. Not nearly as badly as it used to be, but yeah - mostly cheaper in the UK and USA.

Food - pricing depends what you're buying, perhaps - but on a quality level, a lot of what I see on our shelves would be rejected in the USA or UK. In fact, when I travel overseas that's probably the toughest thing for me to readjust to when I get back - the fact that "good" shops will leave such shocking quality "fresh" foodstuff on their shelves and expect people to buy it.

The only thing of substance I can think of that is really cheap here compared to there is property. But then our high interest rate screws that one up from an affordability point of view.

[Duncan]

If you think SA is cheap then you are being fooled.
UK electricty costs 17 cents in London, 10 to 12 cents outside of London. In the states electricity costs 3,06 cents in some area's. Oh, that's American cents just to draw a comparison.
Chatting to a yank a few weeks back on the plane and i asked him if he thought that SA was cheap. Not really was his answer.
I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively in Europe, the UK and China.
Its amazing that at the end of every month a single middle class person in UK and Europe can have money saved and have a nice price effective international holiday once per year. Notice one thing about China, they are all eating and their average wage in 2006 was RMB800 for those working. A huge part of their population is subsistence farming but they don't starve.
Ask middle class SA's how many are actually saving money. Maybe those that are consolidating two incomes in a house hold. We live hand to mouth.

I love SA but i really think the time has come to level the playing fields and rise to the argument that will prevail at political level to make this a better place. In the states the business's have lobbyist who work the political arena to make the changes in there interest's. Do we still even have this in South Africa. Or are the politicians only swayed by the size of the brown paper bag.

One of the biggest problems that we have had in South Africa is we cannot unite and we are so hell bent on our own personnel goals that we wont let any one close to help us.

The Africans have realised that a long long time ago and they stand together. Why cant we. We have the power, this 8% controls the majority of the money that is moving around this country. We deserve a right to decide, or influence, on what is best for this country and for business as a whole, hell it is our money that others are deciding for us on.

In your business would you employ a unqualified, incapable and inexperienced person to take over as the managing director and lead your business into the future. No, so why the hell are we allowing the politicians who, lets be honest, most have little idea about business, let alone what is is taking us to survive in this battle field, in a recession with high taxation, international competition, labour disputes, strikes, etc.

[Dave A]

Why cant we. We have the power, this 8% controls the majority of the money...

Feeling a bit thick here.

Trying hard to place the demographic you might be referring to there