National Consumer Tribunal Annual Report 2011/12 National Consumer Tribunal 2011-12 | Page 51

Of the tenders for seven services evaluated during the fi nancial year,
four (legal, internal auditing, fi nancial and accounting, and recruitment
services) were completed and service level agreements with the service
providers concluded. No suitable service provider for ICT services was
identifi ed, while the evaluation of the tenders for travel services, DTP and
printing are still being fi nalised.
We have made considerable progress on the implementation of the
Information Communication Technology Strategy and Plan and on
several aspects of the Human Resources Strategy and Plan, although
the latter has been hampered by a delay in fi nding a suitable person to fi ll
the position of Human Resources Offi cer.
The Tribunal also conducted an assessment to identify the risks to the
Tribunal being able to achieve its strategic and business plan objectives.
Risks were identifi ed at both the strategic and operational levels. The
process involved the management team, the internal auditors and the
Audit and Risk Committee and was aligned to the risk strategy and
methodology developed by the Tribunal.
The compliance requirements and costs of the Tribunal are relatively
high in terms of its overall budget and staff component. This is a result
of the high number of policies that have to be complied with, the amount
of time required to establish compliance, and the reporting in respect
of compliance. The Tribunal is constantly reviewing different options for
streamlining this process and reducing its impact on the organisational
resources.
Operationally, the Tribunal reports through the Consumer and Corporate
Regulation Division (CCRD) and the Agency Management Unit (AMU) of
the dti to the Executive Authority, the Minister of Trade and Industry. The
Chief Executive Offi cer reports to the Chairperson, and the Tribunal acts
in terms of a budget approved by the dti.
The work of the Tribunal was highlighted in a presentation to Parliament’s
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry in October 2010. This provided
an opportunity to report about the Tribunal’s activities to an important
stakeholder and to explain how the Tribunal contributes to the dti’s
strategic goal of promoting broader participation, equity and redress in the
economy. The Tribunal also made a presentation to the Minister of Trade
and Industry in February 2011, during which we outlined the challenges
faced by the organisation in the areas of increasing accessibility, effective
management of cases, sound decision-making, and sound organisational
management. Fourteen challenges were identifi ed, and solutions to meet
each of them proposed.
Aloe
The Aloe juddi (“Koudeberg
Aloe”), one of a few fynbos
aloes, was tentatively
named in 2007 after being
brought to the attention of
botanists in 2004 by farm
215, adding yet more variety
to the astonishing array of
plants in the Cape Floral
Region.
In line with the worldwide awareness of the need for sustainable
development, the Tribunal is reviewing its facilities and practices to
ensure that its consumption patterns are sustainable. We are also in the
process of reviewing our facilities to make the use of them by both staff
and visitors accessible to a more diverse community.
Annual Report 2011
national consumer tribunal | page 49