AT the end of this year, I will have completed 21 years’ service with the Federation. When I joined the organisation in January 1989, it was an employers’ association, known as the South African Printing & Allied Industries Federation. The printing industry was very much part of the Industrial Council system and a ‘closed shop’ existed with the South African Typographical Union.

I have been privileged to be a part of the many changes that have shaped our industries into what they are today. The creation of PIFSA as a Section 21 Company, the building of the Southern African Printing College as a non-racial training facility, and the growth of the SATU retirement funds to today’s R5-billion have all been extremely satisfying. None of these things were accomplished by a single individual, but I am glad to have contributed in some way.

One of the saddest events for me has been the closure of the College after 16 years. It was built when training levies were voluntary and training was controlled by an Industry Training Board. Our members agreed to channel a portion of their levies to the College to subsidise training, and the system worked well until the establishment of SETAs in 2000. PIFSA had to use its own resources to continue to subsidise training from the time that funding became ‘discretionary’, and unfortunately it could not continue indefinitely. Training is expensive, and the beneficiaries were primarily young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who could never have afforded the true cost of training.

As an industry we can be proud of the accomplishments of the College and over 10 000 young people that came through its doors. Today, some of them are senior managers and business owners in our industry.

Now I have decided that it’s time for change – both for myself and for PIFSA – and I will be taking early retirement at the end of this year. My successor will be announced once the Federation’s management committee has decided on a new incumbent. While no-one is above reproach, I can truthfully say that everything I have done over the past two decades has been done in the interests of our members and the printing and packaging industries. I will miss my involvement, and I will miss many of the strong personalities that I have been privileged to work with and for over the years.

I am too young to stop working, however, and although I am not sure what the future holds, I hope that in some way I will still be linked with the industry.
It’s been great!

The Printing Industries Federation of South Africa has moved to new premises October 1st 2009.

The PIFSA Honeydew facilities have been leased for a two year period with an option to extend.
PIFSA National and Central Chamber staff will be taking up residence in Gallo Manor from the 1 October 2009

New Address
The Braids
113 - 115 Bowling Avenue
Gallo Manor
2191

P O Box 1396
Gallo Manor
2052

We are now up and running in our new premises. Our new telephone number is 011 287 1160.
Fax : Central Chamber 011 2871178 National Office 011 287 1179

Many thanks for your patience during the period.

Good News!

Import duties on paper remain the same. PAMSA's duty review application unsuccessful.

"PIFSA's ongoing efforts to keep paper prices as low as possible on behalf of our members, have paid off. PAMSA's duty review application to ITAC was unsuccessful and was dismissed with costs. A copy of the judgement is available upon request from ekuhl@pifsa.org.  Should PAMSA appeal, our attorneys will advise us, which will be communicated to all members.

In lay terms, this means that the import duties on paper will not revert to what they were prior to the ITAC report No 151 in 2005, unless an appeal reverses the current ruling."

Air Emissions - Printing as Listed Activity

PIFSA, PACSA and the PCA made a joint submission to the Department of the Environment in response to Notice1001 published in Government Gazette 32434on the 24 July 2009

We have received notification from our attorneys Garlicke & Bousfield that according to the department the envisaged date of 11 September 2009 for the balance of the National Environmental Management : Air Quality Act (NEM :AQA) to come into operation and for the repeal of APPA will not be achieved and this will now only take place at a later stage.

In summary this means that the printing emission standards have not yet commenced, nor is printing regarded as a listed activity.  Once APPA is repealed this may change (with the promulgation of s 21 of NEM:AQA) and we will have to monitor developments.  There will be increased enforcement in regard to water issues and air related issues and companies should have an EMI inspection place and know their rights and obligations. 

The National Environment Laws Amendment Act 44 of 2008 however did come into operation on the 11 September 2009.  This means the following :

1. The 72 Scheduled list of activities will continue to be applicable and there are no specific emission standards in respect of each of those listed activities (other than what is set out in the registration certificates); i.e the current position remains

2. Whether a provisional or final APPA registration certificate is valid during the transitional period stipulated in section 61 of NEM: AQA  seems to depend on the relevant facts of that certificate - (in the context of the interpretation of section 61 of NEM : AQA and the expiry date of either a provisional or final certificate)

3. In terms of the National Environment Laws Amendment Act 44 of 2008  APPA ,the NEM:AQA and the National Water Act 36 of 1998 are now regarded as 'specific environmental management acts ' in terms of NEMA which means that these acts may be enforced by environmental management inspectors (EMI's) who have various general powers including questioning persons, undertaking inspections and sampling, requiring production of documents, seizure and the issue of compliance notices, etc.

4. The National Environment Laws Amendment Act also amends section 31 H of NEMA which provides EMI's with additional powers including those assigned to peace officers as well as non-commissioned police officers.

5. Section 31N of NEMA has also been amended by the addition of subsection 3 which establishes the fine (an amount not exceeding five million Rand) and/or the term of imprisonment (a period not exceeding 120 years) for a person convicted of a failure to comply with a compliance notice.