The Association echoes the words of the Honourable President Cyril Ramaphosa that “we are going through unchartered territory.” The world is struggling to combat the spread of COVID-19 with a number of countries in lockdown or isolation, throwing the global economy into turmoil. South Africa has been particularly hard hit by the Moodys and Fitch downgrades. The double blow of the lockdown and downgrades is unprecedented and has placed the country in a very challenging position, requiring definitive action by government to implement structural economic reforms and address poor economic growth whilst dealing with the pandemic.
This against the backdrop of an already ailing construction industry calls for serious interventions by all stakeholders in the industry. During this lockdown period, the Association is doing everything in its power to help the industry navigate its way through these unchartered territories. A COVID-19 Construction Rapid Response Task Team has been convened by the Association with participation from key industry bodies to look at the recovery of the industry post the lockdown. The Task Team aims to collectively unblock relief measures for the industry to remain sustainable and is seeking the participation and expertise of all stakeholders in the industry.
In addition, we are participating in the Public Private Growth Initiative essential sectors group which hosts regular meetings to look at challenges in various sectors during the lockdown and to explore how these can be unblocked. Kindly continue to send us any issues you may be experiencing during this time.
In order for the Association to ensure that we are tackling the right issues, we have formulated a quick survey which will provide a snapshot of how the industry is coping with the pandemic and serve as a basis for informing our future engagements. Members are urged to CLICK HERE to complete this survey.
There have been numerous Government Regulations and notices during this period which the Association has communicated via regular ebulletins to its members. A champion has been delegated to assist members with all aspects of relief measures announced by Government. In addition, the Association has created a COVID-19 information portal on the homepage of our website at www.masterbuilders.co.za for easy reference.
The Association distributed legal opinions on the possible impact on numerous construction contracts, and in this edition we cover the most prominent MBSA contractual agreements utilised by members. We also take a look at the importance and contents of a consolidated health and safety file. Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal Print Studio is offering a mega discount on the graphic design of social media adverts and we also touch on the potential tax savings that can be secured with smart financial decisions.
This April edition also calls for comments on the National Skills Authority draft Regulations and also introduces our registration with the South African Maritime Safety Authority for medicals.
The Association has communicated its remote operations to its membership for the duration of the lockdown. All face-to-face meetings and events have been postponed until further notice. Please make use of our remote services for your convenience and rest assured that the Association will continue to do everything possible within the imposed restrictions to assist you and keep you informed of the latest developments.
Stay safe, stay positive and stay calm! Let us help you through these turbulent times!
