South African Retail Council launches

It will be tasked to deal with common non-competitive issues facing the retail sector in two particular areas being the economic and legislative affairs and labour relations.

Economic & legislative affairs:

• engage in debates and discussions of drafting legislation with the aim of influencing such legislation before being promulgated into laws;
  
• give members a platform to give direct input into the South Africa's legislation and regulatory frameworks;
  
• make SARC a first port of call for government, media, regulators and other stakeholders who wish to engage retail sector;
  
• increase the value of representation and amplifying retailer's voice while mitigating the costs of doing so by leveraging on established platforms and channels available within the Consumer Goods Council of SA (CGCSA)

Labour:

• position and engage government on BBBEE, specifically, employment equity compliance as it continues to impact on retail industry ;
  
• engage the Financial Services Board (FSB) on the changes to section 17(1)(b) of the FAIS Act, relating to the setting of minimum competency requirements for compliance function and approval compliance officers;
  
• input on compliance with the worker training layoff scheme introduced by government as a measure of responding to the economic crisis; and
  
• present submissions and engagement on the broader government legal and regulatory framework including: Labour Relations Act; Basic Conditions of Employment Act; Employment Equity; Skills Development Act; and Promotion of Equity and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act

Over and above the launching of the retail council and being introduced to its leadership, the CGCSA, as a voice for the sector, will also speak on the controversial probe by the Competition Commission on retailers. The industry body will also make a comment on the country's food inflation and give an update on the retailer's standpoint as far as the Consumer Act is concerned.