Category: July 2019 Newsletter

The Middelburg is caught in a spiral of outside forces; National Legislature dictates municipal services increases, NERSA approved an excessive electricity price increase, and to top it off the fiasco of the Optimum Mine/Tegata that has been dragging on for years.

The inability or unwillingness of the various owners, roleplayers and Department of Mineral to finalise the Tegata fiasco, is having an ongoing impact on our town’s economy.  Middelburg continues to wait for the conclusion of the transactions so that we can get on with our lives.  We are being held hostage by a company that did not have our interest at heart.

Eskom, a significant local employer, supplier, and a corporate company that everybody wants to do business with produce the most expensive input cost in every industry.  The massive electricity increase is now taking effect and is downplayed by the Reserve Bank as a marginal influencer in the rise of inflation.  The country is expected to pay for the continued corruption taking place.  Not only does the electricity price affect households, but it is also the one cost all businesses have. How many jobs will be at risk?  NERSA asked MCCI what our evidence is that the electricity price increase could harm our economy. Are government decision-makers taking uninformed decisions that affect our livelihoods and our quality of life?

Most of the households had a shock when they opened their municipal accounts this month.  To add an R1 000,00  to a household budget already stretched to the limit will have consequences — less spending on luxury items or even day to day items, resulting in a decline in transactions.  We need to protect the businesses, or it could have an impact on the companies and their employees.

It is of the utmost importance that the Tegata/Optimum Mine, and other mines’ issues get resolved as quickly as possible.  The Government needs to find a workable funding model, as continued increases in municipal services will reach a tipping point.  Moreover, Eskom must supply us with cheap electricity to restart our economy.

SARS is hosting information sessions on the Customs Registration eFiling system they will be rolling out during the last quarter of 2019, to assist in the Registration, Licensing and Accreditation (RLA) of importers and exporters.

The purpose of the information sessions is to inform businesses that SARS is planning to action a decision to bring forward the implementation of particular business processes and systems capabilities, that would have been completed under the new Customs Acts.  As the new Acts will only be applied by 2025, SARS decided to introduced RLA under the provisions of the 1964 Customs & Excise Act.

The first phase of the RLA is expected to go live towards the end of 2019.  Certain client types will be able to submit new applications for registration via eFiling.  The impacted client types will also be able to have applications captured by Customs staff at their preferred Customs Branch.  The eFiling system will be rolled out on a port-by-port basis, starting in Alberton, followed by other big regional offices and eventually the smaller land border offices. The remaining client types will continue to support the current “as-is” registration process.

For more information members can access the www.sars.gov.za>Customs and Excise>New Customs Legislation Update>RLA.  MCCI has a summarised version available for members.

“It is so easy to break down and destroy; the heroes are those who make peace and build” – Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela’s on the 18^{th of} July 2019, is the call for people everywhere to celebrate his birthday by acting on the idea that each person has the power to change the world.

The Middelburg Chamber together with Phillips Machine South Africa (Pty) Ltd, took part in changing the world by assisting Middelburg CMR, KPM Academy and Stucky Stars in achieving their goals on various initiatives.

We would like to say a special thanks to Phillips Machine South Africa (Pty) Ltd for their financial investment and non-monetary contributions into our local development projects.

The Middelburg Chamber (MCCI) has implemented Q2B’s ALL-IN-ONE management, administrative and booking system for venues and accommodation in Africa. The Q2B could be used for a guesthouse, an activity, a theatre, function- and conference venue or a boutique hotel.

MCCI has decided to go into a partnership agreement with Q2B so that we could improve our services to the tourists and public that wants to access Middelburg’s accommodation and events.  Venues can have access to state-of-the-art selective Channel Management links. Accommodation bookings have easy to use online functionality for venue reservation teams, agencies, business reservation departments or the general public.

There are many benefits for the Tourism Industry to participate. The Industry is invited to a meeting on 14 August 2019 to find out how the system works, at 11 o’clock, at the Middelburg Information Centre. Please contact Mmabatho to RSVP at info@middelburginfo.com or 013 243 2253.

South Africa is measured against global coal mining statistics and assumptions are being made that we are in the same position as countries such as the United Kingdom, where their mining industry has been operational for centuries.  In Mpumalanga mining accounts for 83% of South Africa’s coal production.

Coal mining expert Vuslat Bayoglu said, “South Africa has abundance of coal to deliver low-cost and reliable energy while sustaining more than 700 000 direct and indirect jobs in coal mining.”  Several experts have also indicated that renewables are not able to provide for our current base load hence coal is essential in providing the consistent flow of power to households and industries.  With round 75% to 80% of electricity produced by Eskom stemming from coal-fired power stations coal and renewables should not be seen as competition against each other, but instead should be viewed as complementary power sources.

How does this affect our local economy?   For clarity on the burning questions join MCCI for the first ever Coal Mining Symposium to be held on the 5^th of September 2019 in the heart of coal Mining – Middelburg Mpumalanga.