D  I  A  L  O  G  U  E

Volume 7, No. 1, April 2003

An occasional publication covering reports andactivities discussed by the Nedlac Executive Council

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT SET FOR 7 JUNE
Nedlac's Management Committee agreed at its April meeting that the Growth and Development Summit will be postponed to 7 June in order to give the four constituencies of business, labour, government and community more time to exchange views on their position papers and identify areas of agreement.


OVERVIEW OF NEDLAC ACTIVITIES
Activities at Nedlac in the first quarter were severely curtailed by the available funds for holding meetings. Nedlac's financial year runs from April to March. As readers will be aware from last year's newsletters, 2002 was a very busy year for Nedlac, with the institution hosting several additional processes, such as discussions running up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development; 


FRIDGE RESEARCH NOTES
Research conducted under the Fund for Research into Industrial Development Growth and Equity (Fridge) continues to be an important aspect of Nedlac's work. The Department of Trade and Industry, which funds the programme, has recognised the value of the work, and has allocated R7 million rand to the programme over the next budget year. This is a transfer to the Industrial Development Coporation (IDC), which manages the logistical and financial side of the programme.

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN UPDATE
Membership
A major milestone is being approached, with the accreditation of the 1000th member expected to take place within the next month. A directory of members is currently being prepared for publication. This will provide a comprehensive listing of products and services to encourage decision-makers in the private and public sectors to "buy South African". At least 3000 copies of the guide will be distributed to buyers and procurement officers throughout the country.