How many of you are aware of the Promotion of Access to Information Act??? (wtf!!):This i.a. states that every business enterprise must prepare a manual ito of the Act, publish this on its website and send it to the Human Rights Commission. It must include details of its business, legislation governing it, bank account details and other facts such as registration nos etc. The deadline to comply if you’re a small business is Dec 2011. Accountants charge R1000 for the privilege of doing this on your behalf!
In my esteemed opinion they can go fuck themselves! >:(
Good grief:
http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=68186
*Act not applying to certain public bodies or officials thereof 12. This Act does not apply to a record of— (a) the Cabinet and its committees; (b) the judicial functions of— 15 (i) a court referred to in section 166 of the Constitution; (ii) a Special Tribunal established in terms of section 2 of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, 1996 (Act No. 74 of 1996); or (iii) a judicial officer of such court or Special Tribunal; or 20 (c) an individual member of Parliament or of a provincial legislature in that capacity.;
Nice…
I’ll download the thing and go have a good read tonight, considering its been on the books since 2000 already.
The manual must be in three languages too! Can you imagine the schlep to keep this up to date? Obviously some clod(s) has decided this is cool in the interest of transparency without thinking through the implications for SMME’s, one man bands etc (like me). I suspect it will eventually die a natural death like so many other ill-conceived pieces of legislation this country has produced.
Heh, access to information is good, just not OUR information.
To give effect to the constitutional right of [i][b]access to any information held by the State[/b][/i] and any information that is held by another person and that is [i][b]required for the exercise or protection of any rights[/b][/i]; and to provide for matters connected therewith.[emphasis added]From the Act, the very first page of it. How exactly is this 'purpose of the Act' reconciled with those 'exclusions'? (wtf!!)
Quite. I’m a small business owner, and as far as I’m aware I don’t hold any information connected with the exercise or protection of anyone’s rights. I’ve never heard of any obligations I may have under this Act, and therefore intend to do nothing about it. I’m certainly not paying that lazy, lumpen, incompetent so-called accountant that I’ll soon be firing anything for making us complient.
Is it just me or do you also get the feeling that Big Brother is looking? RIKA, PAIA, what is the bank thing called, SARS, the questions in the Census and this new toll system? I don’t like this. If these things are all linked you will not be able to do whatever without somebody asking questions.
FICA
Its not just you, it freaks me out. My son came home last night telling me that all 16 year and older kids were called to the hall during break, they were adressed by a member of the DA youth league and requested the kids to join. I was horrified but both my boys had enough wits to just take a pamphlet and mozey on out to go have their sarmies instead of putting their names down. The whole thing smacks of Nazi Germany prior to the war or Maoist China for that matter.
that’s SUCH bullshit!!! i would complain to the school if I was you. I would complain to the DA as well. Isn’t that indoctronation, of something? shouldn’t you, as a parent, give permission for your child to be signed on to anything, much less a political party. or give permission for your child to be adressed by a political party?
Nah, at the age of sixteen surely these ‘kids’ can listen to whatever political propaganda is spewed at them and make their own choices? OK you read stuff like American Pastoral (Philip Roth) and think… nnnooooooooo! but seriously - the only problem I could have with this is if the school refused to allow all the other political parties to have their say as well. 
Politics have no business in schools other than in the history class.
Anyway, we’ve digressed from the OP.
This bit of legislation has been on the books since 2000, have none of you with business’ come across it before now?
No, and I don’t see how it’s relevent to my business.
It’s been on the books since 2002 and the original deadline was in 2005 for businesses to register. This doesn’t alter the fact that the need for this information is highly suspect and indeed smacks of BIG Brother…for what possible reason does a business need to register with the HRC?? They’re already registered ito the Companies Act, as employers with Labour, with SARS for both VAT and Income Tax, Companies Act…then you have the Copyright Act,Employment Equity Act,Value Added Tax Act Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Close Corporations Act,Electronic Communications and Transactions Act,Unemployment Insurance Act…