Article
Listen to banks when formulating government policy
Published: 02/08/2023
The government recently published
two controversial regulations in the Government Gazette for public comment. One is the Water Use Licensing Regulations, which seek to
introduce a black shareholding requirement to obtain a licence, and the other
is the draft Equal
Employment Targets proposed for the agricultural sector. (Read articles on both
these regulations in this issue of Agbiz Grain Quarterly.)
Agbiz is involved in both processes
by interacting with the relevant departments. Since the proposals were formally
published in the Government
Gazette, they have received a strong response from many civil society
organisations and the media.
Agbiz Grain believes that banking, as it is practised
in South Africa, enables the creation of a more just, peaceful and equal world.
If banks can gain greater recognition for the role they play in determining
where capital and liquidity can best be allocated in the agricultural industry
to promote economic growth, then the banking industry should not be treated as
a passive participant in the creation of national policy. Our banks have the
ability to determine the functioning of our modern agricultural practices and
way of life. With the necessary confidence in our banking system, our democracy
can stand stronger. – Agbiz Grain