The Nedlac Chamber
LABOUR MARKET CHAMBER
Terms of reference
The Labour Market Chamber seeks to reach consensus and make
agreements for placing before the Executive Council on all matters
pertaining to the world of work and the associated institutions of
delivery.
Overview
The work programme of the Labour Market Chamber has encompassed
issues at the centre of labour market policy in South Africa, and
the often controversial issues that are at the heart of relations
between business, labour and government.
The chamber has spent much of the last three years negotiating
the reform of the country's labour laws. The first two years were
spent largely on the Labour Relations Act,and the chamber continues
to work on matters related to this Act. The chamber also considered
the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, but failed to reach
consensus on some fundamental issues. Currently, negotiations are
drawing to a close on the skills development bill and the
employment equity bill.
Two codes of good practice have been finalised, and the chamber
is currently working ona further three such codes. Other matters
that the chamber has considered include the functioning of the Wage
Board, the phasing out of the old Industrial Court, and the
demarcation of sectors, which remains an important agenda item.
Further work around the Labour Relations
Act
The Labour Relations Act, 1995, which was the product of
negotiations in this chamber,came into effect on 11 November 1996.
Work on various aspects of the Act continued to feature on the work
programme of the Labour Market Chamber in 1997, including the
finalisation of codes of good practice and the consideration of
demarcation applications.
Demarcation
Nedlac has certain responsibilities placed on it by the Labour
Relations Act in respectof the demarcation of sectors for
collective-bargaining purposes. Nedlac must consider applications
to register bargaining and statutory councils in respect of which
an application is made, and demarcate the appropriate sector and
area in respect of which the council should be registered.
Criteria for demarcation
Criteria to guide the consideration of demarcation applications
and a set of principles and criteria are being developed.
Currently, these are being considered in detail by the chamber.
Procedure
A procedure for considering demarcation applications has been
agreed: a standing committee will be appointed to examine such
applications and make a recommendation to the chamber. The standing
committee will be empowered to liaise directly with the parties to
an application, as well as with any objectors to an application, in
making its recommendation.
Applications
By 31 March 1998, Nedlac had considered six demarcation
applications in terms of theAct.
- Application for the variation of scope of the national
bargaining council for the textile-manufacturing industry.
- Application for the variation of scope of registration of the
bargaining council for the sugar-manufacturing industry.
- Application for the registration of the bargaining council for
the clothing industry in northern Natal.
- Application for the registration of the South African
manufactured-fibres bargaining council.
- Application for the variation of scope of the national
bargaining council for the road transport industry (goods).
- Application for the variation of scope of the clothing industry
bargaining council (Western Cape).
Code of good practice on dealing with sexual
harassment
Recognising the seriousness of sexual harassment in the
workplace, a chamber working group has been developing a code of
good practice on dealing with cases of sexual harassment for
consideration by the Labour Market Chamber.
The objective of this code is to eliminate sexual harassment in
the workplace through provisions that promote the development and
implementation of policies and procedures todeal with the problem
and prevent its recurrence. The code provides a definition of
sexual harassment and offers detailed guidelines on what an
appropriate procedure will comprise.
Implementation of the Basic Conditions of Employment
Act
Now that the Basic Conditions of Employment Act has been passed
by Parliament,attention has turned to the work that needs to be
done in preparation for its implementation.
Certain provisions of the Act-for example, those that provide
for the establishment of the employment conditions commission-will
be promulgated by the middle of 1998. The rest of the Act is
expected to come into effect later in 1998.
Investigation into the possible impact on small
business
To address the many concerns voiced about the possible impact of
the Act on smallbusiness, the Minister of Labour has initiated an
investigation into the matter.
The investigation is being conducted by the Ntsika Enterprise
Promotion Agency. Aministerial task team has been appointed to
consider Ntsika's report and make recommendations to the Minister
of Labour on possible amendments to the Act and on ways in which
the Act's implementation could be managed to assist small
businesses.
Business and labour have nominated representatives to serve on
the ministerial task team.
Employment conditions commission
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act makes provision for the
establishment of the employment conditions commission to replace
the Wage Board. The commission will advise the Minister of Labour
on sectoral determinations that establish basic conditions of
employment, including minimum wages, for employees in unorganised
sectors.
In terms of the Act, labour and business nominated
representatives to serve on the employment conditions
commission.
In addition, the Minister of Labour must, after consultation
with Nedlac, appoint three persons to the employment conditions
commission, who are knowledgeable about the labourmarket and
conditions of employment, including the conditions of employment of
vulnerable and unorganised workers.
Basic Conditions of Employment Act codes of good
practice
Government has drafted two Basic Conditions of Employment Act
codes of good practice.
A code dealing with the arrangement of working time provides
information and guidelines to employers and workers on the
arrangement of working time and specifically its impact onthe
health and safety of workers. The code deals extensively with shift
work.
The second code provides guidance on the protection of the
health of employees during pregnancy and after the birth of a
child. The code lists various chemical and other hazards to
pregnant workers and the steps that can be taken to control these
risks.
The draft codes are currently being considered by the Labour
Market Chamber.
Skills development
Skills development is a critical issue for South Africa and was
given priority status by Nedlac's Executive Council in February
1997. In anticipation of the tabling of a greenpaper and proposed
legislation on skills development, a chamber subcommittee was
appointedto negotiate the financing and governance aspects, in
particular, of a skills development strategy. The community
constituency should participate in the negotiation process.
The Department of Labour presented its green paper on a skills
development strategy foreconomic and employment growth in South
Africa to the Labour Market Chamber in April 1997.
A skills development bill was presented to the Nedlac parties in
September 1997. Thebill seeks to provide a strategy for skills
development that is demand-driven and is basedon a partnership
between the public sector and the private sector.
The bill also provides for:
- Learnerships: these are training programmes that combine
theoretical learning and structured work experience and culminate
in a qualification registered with the National Qualifications
Framework.
- The financing of skills development through a levy-grant
scheme.
- The establishment of a research and strategic planning unit,
employment services, and a national skills authority that will
replace the current National Training Board.
Negotiations on the bill commenced in October 1997. Discussions
focused on the specificdetails of the financing system and
governance structures. A revised bill has been tabled in Nedlac and
it is anticipated that negotiations on the bill will be concluded
in time to enable the bill to be tabled in Parliament this
year.
Employment equity bill
A green paper called "Employment and occupational equity" was
published bythe Department of Labour in July 1996 for public
comment. On the basis of submissions andinteraction with relevant
stakeholders an employment equity bill was drafted and tabled
inNedlac in January 1998.
The bill aims to achieve a diverse workforce that is broadly
representative of theSouth African population through the
elimination of unfair discrimination in employmentand through
ensuring the implementation of employment equity to redress the
effects ofunfair discrimination in the past. The bill requires
companies to develop and implementemployment equity plans to
achieve these objectives.
The Labour Market Chamber established a negotiating committee to
consider the bill andagreed that the community constituency should
participate in the committee. The BlackManagement Forum, an
important stakeholder in this matter, was invited to participate
inthe negotiations in a non-voting capacity.
Negotiations on the bill commenced in early March 1998 and
centred on:
- Whether all companies should be required to develop and
implement employment equity plans, and the thresholds for excluding
small businesses.
- How wage differentials can be addressed.
- Penalties for non-compliance with the provisions of the
Act.
- The reporting requirements by companies.
- The definitions of affirmative action and employment
equity.
At the time of writing, the final report was due to be tabled to
the ManagementCommittee.
DEVELOPMENT
CHAMBER
Terms of reference
The Development Chamber seeks to reach consensus and make
agreements for placing beforethe Executive Council on all matters
pertaining to development, both urban and rural;implementation
strategies; financing of development programmes; campaigns to
mobilise thenation behind the reconstruction and development
programme; and the associatedinstitutions of delivery.
Overview
Considerable progress has been achieved by the Development
Chamber in defining andtaking forward its work programme. The
chamber's work has been categorised into fourareas: housing,
physical infrastructure, social and institutional infrastructure,
and theMasakhane campaign and related matters.
Several significant agreements have been concluded by the
chamber in the past year onservice tariffs and the reforming of
South Africa's water laws. The chamber played a vitalrole in
enhancing the Masakhane campaign in 1997.
One issue of critical importance to all parties that the chamber
is currentlyaddressing is housing. Other current agenda items
include the restructuring of theconstruction industry, revamping
community-based public works programmes, and a survey
ofinfrastructure delivery.
The chamber held its first policy session in January 1998 with
the ministers ofHousing, Welfare and Public Works in
attendance.
New issues that will be receiving the chamber's attention later
in 1998 are the whitepaper on disability, land reform and rural
development.
Housing
A special Development Chamber session on housing in mid-1996
identified various areasof housing policy for consideration by
Nedlac. In taking forward its work on this issue,Nedlac has enjoyed
regular interaction with the Minister of Housing, including a
specialsession on housing delivery at the Executive Council meeting
in August 1997.
In May 1997, the chamber adopted the following terms of
reference for its discussionson housing:
The targets of unit output.
The timeframe for such delivery.
The financing mechanism.
Social housing.
Housing parastatal.
Information base.
Quality of housing.
A senior-level housing committee, including representatives of
the Department ofHousing, was established by the chamber to develop
concrete proposals for addressing theissues included in the terms
of reference.
All parties shared a concern that workers cannot access credit
to improve the size andquality of houses that they buy and are
reliant solely upon the government subsidy. Thehousing committee is
developing a scheme, in a bid to remedy this problem, that seeks
toimprove access to credit and enhance the current subsidy
scheme.
Physical infrastructure
Revamping community-based public works
programmes
A framework agreement on job creation in public works programmes
and the constructionindustry, with special reference to
community-based public works programmes, was concludedin February
1997.
The chamber is considering the revamping of public works
programmes based on thelessons outlined in the framework agreement
and evaluations of such programmes by theCommunity Agency for
Social Enquiry and the International Labour Organisation (ILO),
andthe NEF job creation project experience. The chamber will be
looking at specific areasthat require attention from stakeholders,
including wage rates, management agencies andthe participation of
local communities.
The chamber has interacted with the Minister of Public Works on
this issue.
Transformation of the construction industry
The transformation of the construction industry is an important
issue that impacts onthe development of small, micro and
medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and black economicempowerment, as
well as housing delivery.
The chamber will be considering the green paper on the
transformation of theconstruction industry. The chamber received a
presentation on this issue by the Departmentof Public Works in
March 1998.
Infrastructure delivery survey
There was an agreement at the national Masakhane campaign
workshop that a database oninfrastructure delivery should be
developed. The database would serve to register andmonitor
processes of delivery to assist policy-makers to develop strategies
to acceleratedelivery.
A survey of infrastructure delivery will be conducted as a first
step in establishingthe database. The survey will have a
quantitative aspect as well as qualitative aspects.The survey will
also examine constraints on delivery and the possibilities for
enhanceddelivery.
The Development Chamber is considering proposals for conducting
the survey, which isexpected to be completed by September 1998.
Social and institutional infrastructure
Monitoring the implementation of the National
Development Agency
Following agreement on the terms of reference by the Nedlac
Executive Council in 1995,an advisory committee was appointed by
Cabinet to investigate and advise government on themeans for
providing future support to civil society. The establishment of a
nationaldevelopment agency was proposed and was supported in
principle by Nedlac. Since then theDevelopment Chamber has received
reports on progress with establishing the NationalDevelopment
Agency.
Social security
At the Development Chamber's first policy session in January
1998, the Minister ofWelfare outlined the policy and programme
developments in the social security system inSouth Africa. The
Minister indicated that the issue of social security was one that
shouldbe taken up by the Development Chamber. The chamber is
considering the best way to proceedon this important issue.
Crime and violence
In November 1996, Nedlac and the Secretariat for Safety and
Security jointly convened asenior national conference of
stakeholders to forge effective partnerships to fight crimeat local
level.
Following the conference, action plans for mobilising their
members against crime andviolence were developed by Business
Against Crime, Cosatu, Sanco, Sports Against Crime andthe South
African Council of Churches.
The chamber working group on crime and violence continued to
meet in 1997 and agreed toa focus-week campaign aimed at
concentrating existing and emerging anti-crime programmesin one
week of action to demonstrate the growing strength of local
programmes againstcrime and violence on a province-by-province
basis.
A focus-week campaign was held in Gauteng in November 1997.
Activities during this weekincluded a men's march organised by the
South African Non-Governmental OrganisationCoalition to protest
violence against women and child abuse, and the International Day
ofNo Violence Against Women.
PUBLIC FINANCE AND
MONETARY POLICY CHAMBER
Terms of reference
The Public Finance and Monetary Policy Chamber seeks to reach
consensus and makeagreements for placing before the Executive
Council on all matters pertaining to theframework within which the
financial, fiscal, monetary and exchange-rate policies
areformulated; the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy and
related elements ofmacroeconomic policy; and the associated
institutions of delivery.
Overview
Concerns about the quality of dialogue in this chamber have
recently been taken up at achamber policy session attended by the
Minister of Finance. Although the chamber is thevehicle set up for
debating macroeconomic issues, such debate has not been taking
place.The chamber is examining its role and work programme as a
priority issue.
The chamber's focus over the past three years has been on the
Budget and the Budgetprocess. The chamber has not sought a formal
agreement on the Budget; rather, the processof interaction has
provided government with an opportunity to hear the views of
businessand labour.
In 1997, government introduced a multiyear approach to budgeting
with the medium-termexpenditure framework, which outlines
government spending for the next three years. Thechamber developed
a submission in response to the framework, which focuses on
expenditureon health care and education. The chamber's work in this
regard is being taken up with theministries of Health and
Education.
Recently, the chamber developed a new framework for its future
work programme. At leasttwo chamber sessions will be held on
government revenue considerations, basic fiscalpolicy issues and
monetary policy. The sessions will be used to inform thinking on
theissues and to identify specific focus areas for further detailed
work by the chamber.
The medium-term expenditure framework
Discussion document on health and education
Following a chamber policy session in April 1997, the chamber
established a Budgetworking group to develop a consensus submission
on the expenditure side of the Budget aspresented in the
medium-term expenditure framework.
The Budget working group focused on primary health care and
primary and secondaryeducation as priority issues. The working
group concentrated on how to enhance theefficiency, effectiveness
and equity of government spending on health and education in
themedium-term. This included:
Assessing outputs and service delivery.
Describing backlogs and needs.
Considering financing and delivery strategies.
The chamber convened two special sessions on the two priority
issues with the intentionof accessing information on the status of
delivery in these two areas. In addition,research was completed
that provided a province-by-province assessment of
delivery,backlogs and future projected needs in respect of physical
infrastructure, humanresources, institutional resources and
management systems.
Workshops were convened in each province in August 1998, and the
views reflected wereincorporated into the chamber's discussion
document.
Submissions from business and labour on delivery in education
were also incorporatedinto the document.
While this document did not reflect a full consensus between the
parties, it has beenagreed to use it as a basis for further
engagement with the departments of Education andHealth.
Issues raised in the document regarding education include:
A proposal to undertake research on two issues: pupil migration
and reducing the repetition of school years.
Addressing equity in delivery through studying the effects of
voluntary severance packages and addressing backlogs in
infrastructure.
Achieving greater efficiency through human resource development,
the development of system indicators, and improving educational
management.
The education task team will be meeting with the Minister of
Education to discuss itsrecommendations.
The following issues were identified with respect to health
delivery:
- The interface between the private and public sectors.
- Tax dispensation.
- Addressing infrastructure backlogs.
- Regulatory framework.
- The health task team will meet with the Department of Health to
discuss its recommendations.
Savings
The chamber has undertaken research on savings. The objective of
the research is todevelop a comprehensive report that will inform
the development of strategies to promotethe level of savings by
households. An examination of experience, both international
andlocal, of mechanisms to increase savings, retirement funds,
informal savings mechanisms,and the role of government, is being
conducted. This will be considered together with aSouth African
Reserve Bank report on the macroeconomic environment in respect of
savings.
Investment in infrastructure
The chamber agreed to study investment in socio-economic
infrastructure with a view toinforming constituencies about
progress in delivery, including backlogs and projectedfuture needs,
and to contribute towards the formulation of strategies to enhance
delivery.
A comprehensive research report was compiled covering schools,
clinics, running waterand sanitation, electrification and
telephones.
The report was the focus of a commission at the national
Masakhane campaign workshop,and one of the resolutions of the
workshop was that a database on infrastructure deliveryshould be
developed. The issue is now being taken forward by the Development
Chamber.
Taxation
Reforming the tax system has been a standing item on the
chamber's agenda. The chamberhas received briefings from the Katz
commission on taxation on each of its interimreports. The last
briefings took place in May 1997 on the fourth and fifth interim
reportsof the commission. The chamber agreed that parties would
respond independently to thereports. A summary document on the work
of the Katz commission of inquiry into certainaspects of the tax
structure of South Africa is expected in October 1998.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
CHAMBER
Terms of reference
The Trade and Industry Chamber seeks to reach consensus and make
agreements for placingbefore the Executive Council on all matters
pertaining to the economic and socialdimensions of trade;
industrial, mining, agricultural and services policies; and
theassociated institutions of delivery.
Overview
The chamber has developed a comprehensive work programme which
has been advancedthrough regular policy sessions with the Minister
of Trade and Industry. The many issuesthe chamber deals with can be
grouped in the following way: trade issues, competitivenessand
productivity, investment, the regulatory environment for business,
the socialdimensions and restructuring of workplaces, and small
business promotion.
Several subcommittees exist under the chamber and these meet
frequently between chambermeetings to take forward the work
programme.
Briefings on specific programmes of the Department of Trade and
Industry are a regularfeature of chamber meetings, and the chamber
also actively monitors progress with theestablishment of relevant
institutions, like Investment South Africa and the South
AfricanRevenue Services (SARS).
A considerable amount of work has been completed on the social
plan, the WorkplaceChallenge, and the European Union (EU) trade
negotiations. Important issues currentlybeing addressed include two
controversial matters: competition policy and industrialdevelopment
zones.
Japanese Grant Fund
Over the past three years the Industrial Development Corporation
has administered theJGF for research into competitiveness under the
supervision of a Nedlac subcommittee. TheJGF is drawing to a close
and is being replaced by a fund for research into
industrialdevelopment, growth and equity.
Three cluster studies were completed by the JGF during the 12
months under review onthe following clusters: ceramics, electronics
and footwear. A study on benchmarking forlabour-intensive
development has also recently been completed.
The JGF studies currently underway are a cluster study in the
plastics andpetrochemicals sector and a study of the wool and
mohair cluster. A cross-cutting study onthe role government should
play in promoting technology is also underway.
Cluster studies of those sectors that are particularly
vulnerable or have the potentialto be highly competitive in the
global economy have also been undertaken by the Departmentof Trade
and Industry and the Industrial Development Corporation. The aim of
these studiesis to look at improving competitiveness by promoting
greater sectoral/cluster coherence.
The Trade and Industry Chamber established a subcommittee-the
cluster coordinatingcommittee-to coordinate these various cluster
initiatives.
Social plan
One of the ramifications of globalisation and trade
liberalisation is the restructuringand decline of uncompetitive
industries, usually accompanied by massive job losses. Asocial plan
task team has finalised a framework approach to managing
large-scaleretrenchments through avoiding job losses and
ameliorating the negative impact of these onindividuals,
communities and local economies. The task team is currently working
out thespecific details of an agreement on the social plan.
The framework specifically provides for the establishment of
future forums in companiesto promote ongoing discussions about the
future of the company and industry so as toidentify problems as
soon as possible and find alternatives to retrenchments.
Alsoprovided for is a technical support facility for such forums,
and a range of supportservices for retrenched workers offered by
the Department of Labour. Support for localeconomic development and
SMMEs will also be provided for in the final agreement.
Industrial development zones
Industrial development zones (IDZs) have been successfully used
in many countries tostimulate employment growth in export
manufacturing by providing a combination of advancedinfrastructure,
easy access to transport routes and ports, duty-free zones,
investmentincentives and other supply-side measures to "crowd in"
investment. IDZs arebeing planned for several areas in South
Africa, including Port Elizabeth and East London.
The Department of Trade and Industry has tabled a concept
document on IDZs, includingrecommendations on the regulatory
framework for IDZs and appropriate incentive structures.This
concept document will be discussed at a workshop in early May
1998.
Reviewing the regulatory environment
Competition policy
Government tabled its much-awaited proposed guidelines for
competition policy in Nedlaclate in 1997.
The aim of the new competition policy is to balance the pursuit
of competitiveness andefficiency with the need to ensure access by
many more people, previously denied an equalopportunity, to the
economy. In particular, government has proposed a new competition
lawthat will be directed at restrictive practices and the abuse of
dominance under thedirection of a reformed and strengthened
competition authority.
The Trade and Industry Chamber appointed a negotiating team to
consider the policydocument. Negotiations commenced in early March
1998. Much of the negotiations to datehave focused on defining
restrictive practice and abuse of dominance.
This policy process is located within a broader review of the
regulatory andlegislative environment in which business functions,
including corporate governance andthe Harmful Business Practices
Act. Nedlac will also interact with this process.
Small business regulatory review
The Department of Trade and Industry has established a national
small businessregulatory review team to look into the possible
impact of all relevant legislation andregulations on small
business. The review process has been integrated with a
processwithin the Department of Labour to review labour legislation
and labour market policy. Thechamber has been invited to nominate
people to serve on the review team. A report isexpected to be
completed by the end of 1998.
Procurement policy
The reform of public sector procurement policy in a way that
promotes black economicempowerment, labour standards and the
development of small enterprises has been the focusof policy
initiatives by the Department of State Expenditure.
During 1997, Nedlac interacted with the green paper on public
sector procurement reformin South Africa through making submissions
on the green paper and holding a workshop toreview the public
submissions received by government. Government has undertaken to
tablethe white paper in Nedlac for negotiation when it has been
finalised.
Customs and excise
Customs and excise is an issue of ongoing importance for the
Trade and IndustryChamber. The chamber receives regular reports on
progress made by the SARS with itsrestructuring and in combating
customs fraud.
Nedlac expressed its concern for ongoing customs and value-added
tax fraud by issuing apress statement in July 1997 that called for
greater coordination between the SARS, theSouth African Police
Services and the Department of Justice in investigating
andprosecuting customs fraud. Nedlac also urged the SARS to
implement the 13-point plan forthe restructuring of customs and
excise that was agreed by the NEF.
To take this forward the chamber held further meetings with the
SARS and has agreed tomeet with the Minister of Justice to discuss
the prosecution of customs fraud cases.
The issue remains an important part of the chamber's work
programme. The SARS hasagreed to make use of the Trade and Industry
Chamber as a consultative forum to provide itwith guidance on areas
where it is experiencing difficulty, such as what to do with
seizedgoods. The SARS has also agreed to provide the chamber with
progress reports on theimplementation of the NEF's 13-point
plan.
Trade
The Trade and Industry Chamber provides a forum-the technical
sectoral liaisoncommittee (Teselico)-through which government trade
negotiators consult with, discussstrategy and share information and
resources with business and labour on tradenegotiations. South
Africa's strategy in these trade negotiations is to improve access
forSouth African products in key markets like the EU.
Teselico analyses quantitative trade data to determine tariff
reductions and whichproducts require special protocols for phasing
down tariffs, as well as rules of originand non-tariff barriers to
trade.
EU negotiations
Teselico's main area of work in 1997 was the trade negotiations
with the EU. In July,Teselico finalised a comprehensive working
document to be used by government as a basisfor preparing South
Africa's trade offer to the EU. The working document addressed
tariffphase-down periods for different categories of products;
identified proposed sensitiveproducts that required special product
protocols with longer tariff phase-down periods,such as clothing,
footwear and motor components; and identified a list of
non-tariffbarriers to trade with the EU.
More recently, Teselico has been analysing the EU's trade offer
to South Africa as wellas providing detailed input on rules of
origin. Also being discussed is the inclusion of asocial clause in
a trade agreement with the EU and other non-trade matters.
The process is expected to be completed by June 1998.
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade protocol
outlines a processthrough which a free-trade agreement would be
reached in the southern African regionwithin eight years. Teselico
will be providing the same kind of detailed input togovernment's
trade negotiators as it did for the EU trade negotiations, and is
currentlyinvolved in developing South Africa's offer to the SADC.
Specifically, Teselico willidentify categories of products on which
tariffs can immediately be reduced to zero, onwhich tariffs can be
reduced over a five-year period, and sensitive products that
willrequire special treatment in product protocols.
In addition, Teselico will consider related customs and excise
issues, the socialclause and the impact of tariff reductions on
employment. It will also appraise offersfrom other SADC member
countries. The process around the SADC trade negotiations
isexpected to be completed by August 1998.
Indian Ocean Rim
Teselico's terms of reference also includes the Indian Ocean Rim
initiative. Thisinitiative started three years ago and is aimed at
a free-trade agreement within theIndian Ocean Rim within 15 years.
As yet, Teselico has not undertaken any detailed work inthis area.
The Trade and Industry Chamber will continue to receive reports on
progress inthis initiative.