One stop shop to make doing business easier

Source: Bizcommunity, 20/03/2017

Investors have lauded the launch of the Invest South Africa One Stop
Shop (Invest SA OSS), saying it will go a long way in easing the way
business is done in South Africa.

“We are very excited to be here. This one stop shop is going to make
our lives easier. We are very fortunate that we come at a time of the
Invest SA one stop shop which will make things much easier for us,”
said Derrick CM Huang, the Managing Director of BYD Company Limited
South Africa Office.

This, as President Jacob Zuma on Friday, 17 March 2017, officially
launched the national Invest SA one stop shop for investors at the
premises of the Department of Trade and Industry (dti).

Speaking following a tour of the Invest SA office, President Zuma said
government has taken a firm decision to make South Africa more
investor friendly.

“Business people have outlined the difficulties and hassles they face
when wanting to establish new businesses, both local and foreign
investors. The bureaucratic red tape has been stifling the growth of
business. Business people have had to visit many departments to obtain
various licences. They have had to go to different offices for water,
electricity and immigration services, such as visas,” said President Zuma.

The aim of Invest SA is to provide strategic guidance, reduce
regulatory inefficiencies as well as to reduce red tape for all
investors looking to invest in South Africa.

Among the roles of Invest SA is to promote both foreign and domestic
investment, said Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.

“It’s a one stop shop, when you come physically to the premises you
will be able to walk through the door, you will be able to interact
with officials from Invest SA from the Department of Trade and
Industry to find out what incentives are available, with the South
Africa Revenue Service to ensure that your registration for VAT
happens seamlessly among others. We offer investment information, we
also offer after care services to investors,” said the Minister.

The President first announced the intention to establish the Invest SA
approach and the one stop shop investor facilitation concept in August
2015 during the meeting of the Presidential Business Working Group.
Work began then towards the establishment of the critical service.

Through the Invest SA office, key government departments like the
Departments of Labour, Home Affairs, and Environmental Affairs and
agencies like the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and Eskom will
be available to investors under one roof.

In addition, government has directed officials to keep the service
simple and short.

“An investor will make an appointment, meet with a government
representatives to explain the services required and be guided by the
representative. The one stop shop will provide a more coordinated,
streamlined and professional service to those who wish to set up a
business,” said President Zuma.
Self-service terminals

Meanwhile, government has made progress in making it easier to start a
new business with self-service terminals in banks, among others,
having being rolled out by the Companies and Intellectual Property
Commission (CIPC) for company registrations.

It is expected that by June this year self-service terminals will be
rolled out to all provinces. These will be accessible to small
businesses in rural areas. Through the automation, company
registrations for local South Africans can now be registered within a
day, which was previously five to seven days.

“Foreign registrations will now be fast tracked, improving turnaround
times through a dedicated channel by the CIPC located at the Invest SA
One Stop Shop. The above is based on fully completed applications. The
Department of Home Affairs has also partnered with banks for the roll
out of Smart IDs and Passports with a turnaround time of five working
days,” said the President.

President Zuma urged the business community to make use of the
services of Invest SA, adding that the South African government takes
investment promotion seriously.
Unlock economic growth potential

“Let us unlock the economic growth potential of our country by making
it easier to do business in South Africa, South Africa is an
attractive destination and government is further committed to
improving the investment climate and ease of doing business,” said
President Zuma.

Government will also open three provincial one stop shops later in the
year. These will be known as Invest SA KZN, Invest SA Gauteng and
Invest SA Western Cape. Other provinces will open their one stop shops
over a three year period.

Minister Davies also announced that investors did not need to
physically come to the premises of the DTI to access the one stop
shop. They can also find information online by visiting
www.investsa.gov.za.
World Bank reform

As part of continuous improvement, Invest SA will coordinate
inter-governmentally with the World Bank on a reform memo over a
period of three to five years to improve South Africa’s Ease of Doing
Business Rankings.

“We want to be reviewed by the World Bank and we are convinced that
our rankings will improve considerably,” said the Presidency.

Meanwhile, Corporate Affairs Director for Nestle South Africa Ravi
Pillay congratulated government on Invest SA.

“This is a major achievement from an industry point of view.
Congratulations [to government] and we look forward to its good
execution,” he said.