Extension of B-BBEE certificates issued by non-accredited verification agencies

3 August 2009

Effective from 1 August 2009, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) verification certificates issued by non-accredited verification agencies will be still accepted until February 2010.

This is according to a notice signed by the Minister of Trade and Industry (the dti), Dr Rob Davies (MP), approving an extension of the deadline for submission of non-accredited certificates to 28 February 2010. The initial deadline for phasing-out certificates issued by non-accredited verification agencies was 1 August 2009.

This would have meant that only certificates issued by accredited verification agencies, or applicants in possession of valid pre-assessment letters, as issued by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS), would have been accepted.

Minister Davies’ extension of the original deadline seeks to allow an increase in the number of verification agencies applying for accreditation and enable the Department of Trade and Industry to put in place monitoring standards for accredited agencies.

Nomonde Mesatywa, Chief Director of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) at the dti, says the extension has been granted to ensure that the phasing-out of the process runs smoothly. “In the interest of harmonising verification practices and ensuring consistent technical competence, certificates issued by non-accredited verification agencies will be phased out. Such an approach is favourable, to ensure that further uncertainty is not perpetuated by a sudden withdrawal of non-accredited verification agencies from the marketplace.”

Mesatywa added that the dti has made significant strides in accrediting B-BBEE verification agencies. Twenty-one (21) verification agencies are currently accredited in South Africa. While this process continues, the dti is considering further measures to increase the capacity of verification agencies, to accommodate the market demand.

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