The Life Offices’ Association (LOA) has been a partner of the Financial Sector Charter process for many years and remains absolutely committed to the transformation of our industry as well as the processes and negotiations needed to finalise the gazetting of the Financial Sector Charter as a sector code in terms of the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act. The LOA would therefore never consider boycotting the process or walk out of negotiations.
Agreements have already been reached at Charter Council level on many facets of empowerment. The LOA together with all other trade associations therefore insisted at yesterday’s meeting that the most substantive issue, being ownership, still delaying finalisation of the Sector Code is prioritised and addressed, and that discussions are limited to aspects on which they had a mandate to represent the views of members. This view was rejected by the community constituency resulting in an unfortunate impasse.
At no point did we walk out of the meeting or indicate that we were not willing to proceed. We therefore disagree strongly with the way COSATU portrays yesterday’s events. The negotiation remains an ongoing process.
Gerhard Joubert (Pictured)
CEO of the Life Offices’ Association (LOA)