STEEL INDUSTRY: Conducting your business with the DUTIES-SWORD hanging over your head (yet another testimony)

STEEL INDUSTRY
Conducting your business
WITH THE DUTIES-SWORD HANGING OVER YOUR HEAD

How does the import duties affect your business?
(click here to share your experience)
Below is another testimony from one of our members

Dear Gerhard

We started off as a husband and wife team in June 1992 by opening a small business that marketed and supplied burglar proofing in two product lines only, from a supplier in Alberton, Gauteng.

In June 1995 we started our own manufacturing with a staff compliment of 19. Branches were established in Johannesburg in April 1996 and another in Durban in March 2000. We grew to becoming a medium to large business in volume of steel work and staff appointments marketing and manufacturing a host of products for the security needs of homes, businesses and wherever needed.

Our tonnage of steel use has made us consider importing our requirements for three reasons: the ongoing lack of stock for our requirements when ordering from distributors, whose only supplier is AMSA; the ongoing escalation of prices, as many as 5 times in one year and the protectionist duties imposed on steel imports making it difficult to do so, to be competitive and have security of supplies.

I have seen numerous businesses reduce staff or close down for the same reasons alluded to, as well as the unrealistic demands made by the unions and the accompanying Government labour law regulations. For the past 5 years I have seen the economy decreasing year by year due to our inept, ill informed and incompetent Government.

The duties imposed need to be withdrawn for good and valid reasons. There is no legal basis for Government to subsidise private and protected business, especially when the profits or dividends are sent to the major head office located overseas.

Regards

We are all in this together.
Privileged and challenged to be South African.