 BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSIONS BILL WITHDRAWN
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| Perhaps the most important news of the week was the announcement of the Minister of Public Works, Minister Geoff Doidge, that the Built Environment Professions Bill has temporarily been withdrawn.
The following article that appeared in the Engineering News on Tuesday 18 November 2008 reported as follows: The controversial Built Environment Professions Bill has been temporarily withdrawn, newly appointed Public Works Minister Geoff Doidge said on Tuesday, citing technical and legal issues.
The objective of the Built Environment Professions Bill was to foster the accelerated transformation of professions, such as engineering, architecture, and quantity surveying, and also proposes the establishment of a new South African Council for the Built Environment.
This supercouncil would incorporate all the existing professional councils, including the influential Engineering Council of South Africa, and transform them into subsidiary boards.
Addressing a media briefing in Cape Town, Minister Doidge explained that a number of the technical and legal details contained within the Bill overlapped and needed to be reworked before it could be tabled again in Parliament.
In addition, the Built Environment Professions Bill had not been subjected to the NEDLAC process whereby various public and private stakeholders had an opportunity to review the Bill.
Engineering News further reported that Minister Doidge said : "The built environment sector had been neglected, from a legislative perspective, since the 1960s and thus the promulgation of the Bill was essential to the regulation and transformation of the industry. The most significant challenge, at this stage, is to ensure that transformation can succeed without sending skills out of the country."
Minister Doidge expressed uncertainty as to whether the Bill would be tabled before the elections, which were scheduled for April next year.
However, if the Bill was not promulgated during this session of Parliament, Minister Doidge stated that the Bill would certainly be tabled during the next session.
So the proposed introduction and adoption the new Built Environment Professions Bill has been temporarily halted, as indicated by Minister Geoff Doidge. This is very significant and important news to the built environment and will come as a happy victory to many that have been fighting against the introduction of the Bill.
But we must stress that this is merely a temporary reprieve of the introduction of the Bill, but it will at least offer the opportunity for stakeholders to make further recommendations to the draft Bill in line with industry requirements. No doubt further directives will follow in the months to come to clarify the issues further. A similar report also appeared in the Business Report on Wednesday. Business Report however also covered the minister's comments on the Expropriation Bill which will also resurface next year. To read the article in Business Report click here. |
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PASSING OF RAY HEPPLE |
| It is with sadness that we have to announce that Mr RAY HEPPLE, long-serving member and Past President of the ASAQS (1981), passed away on Sunday 16 November 2008 at the age of 77 years. He was resident in Port Elizabeth and was very active in ASAQS affairs for many years. He apparently had been ill for around two weeks before he passed away.
On behalf of all at the ASAQS, we wish to express our sincere condolences to family and friends of Ray. May he rest in peace !! |
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DELAY IN PUBLICATION OF THE ASAQS "CENTENARY PUBLICATION" |
| The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) has been the professional home of the professional Quantity Surveyor for over 100 years. From humble beginnings, the ASAQS has served its practising members and equipped them with the tools of the trade to better serve the building industry, thereby adding value and ensuring the prosperity and economic stability of the country.
During 2008 the ASAQS has been celebrating the achievements of the Quantity Surveying profession over a period exceeding 100 years. To further mark the occasion, the ASAQS will be publishing a full colour prestige publication entitled "A CENTURY OF QUANTITY SURVEYING IN SOUTH AFRICA" to mark the successes, achievements and development of the profession during this time. The illustrated book will be published by Chris van Rensburg Publications (Pty) Ltd of Johannesburg, a reputable company with over 45 years experience in producing this kind of prestigious publication.
The publication will be used as a vehicle for career guidance, public awareness of the profession and to serve as a general information guide to stakeholders, decision makers and the Government alike.
The ASAQS takes great pleasure in recommending this milestone publication to the greater Quantity Surveying community. The story of the Quantity Surveying profession in South Africa needs to be told and recorded for posterity, as do the stories of those organisations that have made such important contributions thereto. We trust that we can count on your organisation to support and participate in this exciting project.
Although the initial indications were that the publication would be launched around November 2008, due to inevitable publishing delays this target date will sadly no longer be achieved and the anticipated publication date will be sometime early next year (2009). We wish to apologise to the readers and advertisers alike for any inconvenience caused as a result of this delay. |
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PUBLICATION OF LIST OF QS PRACTICES ON WEBSITE |
| Members are advised that after an absence of a few weeks, a full list of QS practices registered with the ASAQS will again be placed on the ASAQS website. There has been a great call for this service to be re-introduced. After making every attempt to get the database details as up to date and correct as possible and is now available on the ASAQS website.
The list is current as at 19 November 2008 and may be summarised as follows: Gauteng South | 134 | Gauteng North | 96 | Mpumalanga | 37 | Eastern Cape | 78 | Northern Cape | 8 | North West Province | 27 | Limpopo | 32 | Free State | 52 | KZN | 131 | Western Cape | 132 | Outside SA | 14 | TOTAL | 742 |
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Should members observe any obvious errors in the schedules provided, we would appeal that you please advise the ASAQS offices accordingly, and contact Mrs Anusha Rajcoomar (membership@asaqs.co.za) preferably in writing. In this way you will assist the ASAQS office to continue to update the database information. |
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ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ASAQS INVESTORS IN CCN VENTURE |
| To all the ASAQS investors in the CCN venture, herewith a short update of developments and news in terms of the current activities of the CCN business.
1. Allocation of Shares:
You will all be aware of the fact that there were two opportunities to invest in the CCN business as follows:
Round 1 – closing date 14 December 2007
Round 2 – closing date 26 June 2008
In view of the fact that the Round 1 investors were not allocated shares until after the Round 2 deadline, the Steering Committee resolved that all investments made during Round 1 would be offered interest on their investments for the period between the Round 1 and Round 2 deadlines dates. Although the interest calculated for this period will not be paid out to the investors in the form of cash, it was resolved to offer the investors additional shares equivalent to the value of the interest accrued. So the Round 1 investors will find that they will actually receive more shares than they initially subscribed for, the difference being the additional interest allocated to the investors in the form of shares.
The Round 2 investors will receive exactly what they subscribed for, be it in the form of a cash purchase or the extended investment via a debit order system over an extended period of time (12 or 24 months).
Should any ASAQS investor wish to seek further information as to the number of shares allocated, they are free to contact the offices of the ASAQS Members Investments Ltd (telephone 011 315 4140) for further information.
2. Issue of Share Certificates:
Although all the calculations have been completed to finalise the total number of shares that each investor will receive, it has not yet been possible for the ASAQS Members Investments Ltd to actually issue the Share Certificates to the investors. The simple reason for this is that various formalities have yet to be finalised and we are still awaiting a response from the relevant controlling authorities before we are permitted to issue the Share Certificates to the investors. As soon as this is achieved, the Share Certificates will be issued by the ASAQS Members Investments Ltd to the investors without further delay.
We apologise for this delay and would appeal to the investors to please be patient as the matter is in hand and being addressed. Unfortunately the process takes time and we are not in a position to speed up the process.
3. Start of Operations of the CCN Business :
We are pleased to announce that the offices of the CCN Business have been set up in Mount Edgecombe (north of Durban) and the business has started operations. A permanent member of staff has been employed and Mr Mark Grant has also been very active over the last few weeks to get the operations of the office set up and running.
The contact details of the CCN office in Mount Edgecombe and a further report on ongoing developments will be released at earliest convenience. |
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ASAQS STAFF TO FOLLOW UP ON OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS |
| Members are advised that the staff of the ASAQS is currently under instruction to contact members that still have outstanding fees due to the ASAQS for the financial year 2008/2009. Where according to our records members are in arrears with their payments, they will be contacted by telephone by one of the staff members to follow up. We wish to appeal that members receive these calls in good faith and to co-operate with the staff members to resolve any problems.
A common problem that is often experienced by the ASAQS office when members make payment to the ASAQS is that insufficient detail and references are provided when the payments are made. You can imagine that should a member simply reference his/her payment as "ASAQS Fees" or "Association Subscriptions", such payments cannot be correctly allocated to the personal account of that person or practice. In such case the funds are simply transferred into the so-called "816" suspense account and retained there until the payment can somehow be matched to a particular person or practice. This inevitably can lead to frustration and unhappiness when the member is contacted by the staff member and advised that the account is in arrears. To indicate the extent of this problem, the ASAQS currently has around R200 000,00 sitting in that suspense account, with no way of allocating those amounts to the correct account.
So we would appeal to all members that may be phoned to please co-operate with the caller and to assist by re-sending a copy of the proof of payment to successfully make the match between payee and account holder. |
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GAUTENG CHAPTER YEAR-END FUNCTION |
| To view photographs taken during the recent year-end function visit the Gauteng Chapter webpage. |
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BEPMEDS MEDICAL AID SCHEME – SCHEME UPDATE FOR 2009 |
| In keeping with the BEPMEDS philosophy of involving our members in benefit design and the service that we provide, the Scheme held its AGM and 2009 benefit brainstorming session on 30 July 2008. This session was well attended by employer groups and intermediaries alike and gave rise to healthy debate and suggestions around the proposed benefit design. Understandably, not all the suggestions could be adopted at this stage and, after a comprehensive budget process, the Trustees have decided on some key changes as listed in the scheme update.
Members are invited to click here to read about the general scheme update for 2009, and what changes and improved benefits have been introduced for 2009.
In addition, should you wish to view the Scheme Brochure for 2009, please click here.
Remember the scheme slogan which is :
FOR THE PROFESSIONALS, BY THE PROFESSIONALS. |
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TIERED LEVELS OF REGISTRATION POSTPONED INDEFINITELY |
| Members are advised that at the recent Council meeting of the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP) on Friday 9 October 2008, it was resolved by the SACQSP that the possible introduction of the long-awaited tiered levels of registration with the SACQSP be postponed indefinitely. The decision was taken in the light of the uncertainties surrounding the future of the SACQSP with regard to the possible introduction of the SACBE, and the possible changes that may still flow from that in the near future. |
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THE NDPW PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROVIDERS REGISTER |
| During a recent liaison meeting between the National Department of Public Works (NDPW) and the representatives of the Built Environment Professionals (BEP), an invitation was again extended by the NDPW to all professional practices to register with the NDPW on the "Professional Service Providers Register". Although the initial invitation called for the submission to have been submitted to the NDPW offices by 15 April 2008, it is even now still possible for professional practices to make their submissions for consideration.
Interested practices who have not yet submitted their applications are invited to view the requirements on the NDPW website (www.publicworks.gov.za) and to submit their applications at earliest convenience. The instructions as to how to go about the process and how to fill in the forms are detailed on the website.
To assist members further, these documents are also attached here for ease of reference, which are listed as follows: In filling in the forms, there are some guidelines in terms of a common list of problems that should be avoided when filling in the applications. To view these guidelines, please (click here to download). |
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BEE RATING CERTIFICATE OF THE ASSOCIATION |
| Members are advised that should they require a BEE Rating Compliance Certificate from the ASAQS, that this is readily available from the ASAQS on request. The status that the ASAQS enjoys is as follows:
Applicable Scorecard – Exempted Micro Enterprises
Overall BEE Score – Level 4
Procurement Recognition Level – 100%
Date of Issue – 23 June 2008
Expiry Date – 22 June 2009
Should you wish to download a copy of this certificate, please click here |
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OFFICE CLOSURE OVER CHRISTMAS PERIOD |
| Members are advised that the ASAQS offices will be closed over the festive season this year as follows:
Office Closes : Friday 12 December 2008 (at 12h00)
Office Re-opens : Monday 05 January 2009 (at 08h00)
This period coincides with the general shutdown of the construction industry at large and will afford the staff a well-earned rest after a very busy and challenging year. |
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REVISED TARIFF OF QS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 2009 |
| Members are advised that the Fees Committees of both the ASAQS and SACQSP respectively have agreed to the update and amendment of the current Recommended Tariff of Professional Fees 2007. Comments on the draft proposal have been publicly called for and received, and the Recommended Tariff of QS Professional Fees 2009 will come into effect on 01 January 2009.
Draft copies of the Recommended Tariff of QS Professional Fees 2009 are available from the ASAQS offices on request. |
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NEW MODEL TRADE PREAMBLES DOCUMENT NOW AVAILABLE IN CUG |
| Members advised that the update of the Model Trade Preambles (revised version dated November 2008) document has been completed and the new September 2008 version is now available from the offices of the ASAQS. Members can now download the document in PDF format from the CUG. We would like to express our thanks to the following persons that were involved with the update, namely Professors Carl Klopper, Thys Sigle' and Tinus Maritz. For all your hard work and dedication – thank you !! |
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COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (CBE) NEWSLETTER |
| Members wishing to read the bi-annual Newsletter of the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) dated October 2008 are invited to click here (The newsletter is in PDF format and almost 1Mb in size). |
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CONSTRUCTION ORGANISATIONS SUSPEND PARTICIPATION IN CETA |
| The beginning of October 2008 saw the majority of the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) employer organisations suspend their participation in the activities of the CETA Council and all its committees.
Organisations including the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC); the Master Builders South Africa (MBSA); the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA); the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS); and Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) have appealed to the Minister of Labour to intervene by placing the CETA under administration so as to put the CETA on a functional and operational footing. This action was taken as the Organisations are of the strong opinion that further direct interaction with the CETA to resolve issues will have no effect. Over a period of many years these organisations have tried to engage with the CETA, suggesting solutions to resolve issues without much effect. In fact several problems have actually worsened during this period.
Representatives of the employer organisations have, in terms of the laws of the country, important fiduciary duties to fulfil on behalf of their constituencies, and the governance crisis at CETA has deteriorated to such a degree that they are no longer able to comply with the law. The CETA's constitution has been found to be wholly wanting in terms of the statutory/legal/regulatory framework of the land, which was confirmed in the 2004 Deloitte & Touchι report in this regard, coupled with a high level workshop with experts testing the constitution against the Public Finance Management Act. Yet, despite this being known to the CETA Executive Committee and management, very little has been done to rectify the situation.
The Associations contend that the problem is compounded by a lack of transparency and frankness from the Executive Committee when these matters are raised. In many instances the CETA acts in contradiction of its own constitution. An example of this is that the chairman has been 're elected' for a third term, whereas the constitution explicitly does not make allowance for that. The financial management of the organisation leaves much to be desired, as the 4th qualified audit (2007/8) confirms despite warnings and suggestions from the Internal Audit Committee about irregularities.
The announcement of this action taken by the employer organisations resulted in a formal Press Release being placed in the major weekend newspapers on Sunday 26 October 2008. For a full copy of the Press Release and to read further, please click here. |
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COMBINED PRESIDENTS / VICE PRESIDENTS TOUR 2009 |
| During the recent ASAQS Board meeting, it was confirmed that the Presidents and Vice Presidents Tour will again be combined into one trip during 2009. It is planned that the following delegation will be undertaking a combined tour to all Chapters as follows :
Professor Rob Pearl (President of ASAQS)
Mr Indresen Pillay (Vice President of ASAQS)
Mr Egon Wortmann (Executive Director of ASAQS)
This combined trip will be undertaken during February/March 2009 and will be completed in time before the next ASAQS Board scheduled for 02 to 03 April 2009. Chapters will soon be contacted to finalise the arrangements that will be suitable for everyone.
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REGISTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION MENTORS |
| The SACPCMP has commenced with the registration of Professional Construction Mentors from 1st November 2008. Duly qualified individuals are invited to download the application forms and related information or send a blank email to contact@sacpcmp.co.za and insert Construction Mentorship as a subject matter.
Notice for Construction Mentorship Roadshows
Roadshows regarding Construction Mentorship will be held as follows : Province/City : Gauteng /Johannesburg
Venue : Unisa SBL Room 4
c/r Smut & First Avenue
Midrand
Date : 13 November
Time : 16.30 / 19.00
Province/City : KZN /Durban
Venue : Southern Sun North Beach Hotel
83-91 Snell Parade
Durban
Date : Date : 20 November
Time : 16.30 / 19.00
Province/City : Western Cape /Cape Town
Venue : Master Builders Association
Belmont Square
Belmont Road
Rondebosch
Date : 27 November
Time : 16.30 / 19.00
Province/City : Eastern Cape /Port Elizabeth
Venue : Master Builders Association
82 Worraker Street
Newton
Date : 3 December
Time : 16.30 / 19.00 For more information contact Mrs. Lesley Talbot at 011 318 3402 |
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