Latest news with #Sapa
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
SA poultry sector calls for tariff clarity and calls for urgent revocation of US import quota
The South African poultry industry on Thursday called for clarity around South Africa's trade deal with the United States and calls for the urgent revocation of US poultry import quota Image: Umfanekiso ogciniweyo The South African poultry industry on Thursday called for clarity around South Africa's trade deal with the United States and calls for the urgent revocation of US poultry import quota. The SA Poultry Association (Sapa) said it notes with concern the media release issued by Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau on July 292025, titled 'Minister Tau reaffirms South Africa's commitment to a conclusion on the US trade deal.' It said in the statement, Minister Tau refers to:'Agricultural Market Access by simplifying of US poultry exports under the 2016 tariff rate quota and unlock approximately $91 million in trade. In addition, readiness to open market access for blueberries subject to necessary protocols.' The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on Tuesday said negotiations remained the best tool to deal with the issues that are on the table. Tau said the government remained committed to the cause as it awaited substantive feedback from the US counterparts on the final status on its Framework deal. 'The intersection of geopolitical, domestic and trade issues best defines the current impasse between South Africa and the United States, and a reset is unavoidable,' Tau said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Sapa said the reference to poultry exports by Tau is vague and leaves the industry with no clear understanding of what was agreed during the reported negotiations with the United States. "Despite the significant impact of poultry trade policy on local producers, no consultation with the industry has taken place," it said, adding that the poultry industry previously met with Tau on May 16, 2025, during which it was expressly requested that the Minister engages with the industry before making any trade commitments. It was also requested that the Minister gives instruction to treasury to implement the AGOA agreement and revoke the US import quota for poultry meat — previously 65 000 tonnes and now increased to 72 000 tonnes — which allows imports to enter South Africa free of anti-dumping duties. Sapa said to date, the industry has received no response to any of its formal requests submitted for engagement. "While South African exporters continue to suffer from limited to no access to the US market, the import quota favouring US exporters for poultry remains in place, delivering one-sided benefits with no clear industry is left in the dark regarding the content and implications of the reported trade agreement," it said. Considering these developments, the poultry industry said it demands immediate clarification from Minister Tau on the content and commitments reflected in the July 29 media release. It also calls for the urgent revocation of the US poultry import quota, which undermines local producers and is no longer justifiable in the absence of fair-trade terms. "The industry reiterates its readiness to engage constructively with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and calls on the Minister to uphold the principles of transparency and consultation in all trade negotiations that materially affect local sectors," Sapa said. Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of the South African Poultry Association, previously told Business Report that US authorities have yet to communicate the path forward for Agoa. 'We assume that this tariff announcement will be the end of Agoa, which will be bad for the country,' Breitenbach said. BUSINESS REPORT
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Group calls for Sabah's SMEs to register with SSM for greater growth potential
KOTA KINABALU: There is a need to align Sabah's small business registration framework with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) to unlock access to federal funding, boost business credibility, and ensure fair economic inclusion with Peninsular Malaysia. In making the call for this alignment, the Sabah Association of Professional Accountants (Sapa) President Datuk Tan Kok Liang said currently, many micro and small enterprises in Sabah operate solely under municipal-issued trading or operating licences. This fragmented system puts local entrepreneurs at a structural disadvantage compared to businesses in the peninsula, which are formally registered under the Registrar of Businesses (ROB) governed by SSM, he said. 'There's a fundamental mismatch in legal and commercial recognition,' he said after a recent courtesy visit to Mohd Arif Bin Hamzah, Director of SSM Sabah. Tan said that while trading licences serve a local function, they do not carry the national-level weight and legal benefits that come with registration under the Registration of Businesses Act 1956 [Act 197]. 'This limits access to funding, market expansion, and overall growth potential,' he said. He said the SSM data revealed over 9.49 million businesses were registered in Peninsular Malaysia whereas in contrast, Sabah lacked official records under the same framework due to the absence of a mandatory registration requirement with SSM. SSM aligning Sabah's registration framework will improve access to federal grants and financing, enhanced business credibility and documentation, legal identity and name protection, and eligibility for procurement and tenders, Tan stressed. 'This is not about compromising Sabah's autonomy, it's about achieving equal opportunity,' he said. 'Sabahans are resourceful and resilient, but many businesses remain 'invisible' in the national ecosystem. That must change,' he added. Tan said Sapa proposes a dual-registration model, where SMEs comply with local regulations while also being supported to register with SSM. This transition could be made accessible through mobile registration units, digital onboarding platforms and waiver of registration fees, he said. 'We must move past jurisdictional silos and prioritise empowerment. Bridging this administrative gap is crucial to uplifting Sabah's SMEs,' he added.
OC Media
7 days ago
- Politics
- OC Media
Popular Ingush imam detained for illegal arms possession
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article The Caucasus is changing — and not for the better. With authoritarianism on the rise across the region, the threat to independent journalism is higher than ever. Join our community and help push back against the hardliners. Become a member A popular Ingush imam has reportedly been detained and placed under investigation for illegal arms possession. The Telegram channel Sapa, which is believed to be affiliated with Ingush security structures, reported that security forces conducted a search on Friday morning at Imam Nazir Dzeitov's apartment, where they allegedly found a Makarov pistol and seven cartridges. Following the search, a criminal case was opened against the 31-year-old religious figure for illegal arms and munitions possession. Dzeitov is currently being held in a temporary detention facility in Nazran. Another Telegram channel, Rozysk Ingushetia ('Wanted: Ingushetia'), also linked to security services, reported that complaints against the imam had come from 'vigilant residents', who claimed they had 'repeatedly seen him with objects visually resembling firearms', and alleged that he had 'threatened others with them during several confrontational incidents'. Although the name of the detainee was not mentioned in those reports, the details suggest the person in question is Dzeitov. Dzeitov graduated from the Islamic University in Medina, Saudi Arabia. He is a well-known preacher in the region and runs an Instagram channel followed by 18,000 subscribers. The Telegram channel BAQO, run by the Committee for Ingush Independence — an organisation established in 2023 and designated as a 'foreign agent' in Russia — cited its sources as saying that Dzeitov is being held in a regional office of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and is allegedly being coerced into confessing guilt. Authorities and law enforcement officers in Ingushetia have not commented on Dzeitov's arrest. Advertisement According to Sapa, Dzeitov was personally acquainted with two other religious figures previously detained in Ingushetia. In April this year, Imam Muhammad Tamaskhanov from Nazran and Imam Magomed Sultygov from Karabulak were arrested. Criminal proceedings were initiated against them for allegedly failing to report a terrorist act. Investigators reportedly questioned them about possible links to the group led by Bagaudin Gurazhev, whose members, according to the Investigative Committee, were involved in attacks on security forces in Ingushetia in 2023. Following their arrest, peaceful gatherings took place in the republic demanding their release, but no official response was issued. Religious and public figures in Ingushetia stated that unlawful methods of interrogation had been used against Tamaskhanov. Sources from Fortanga, a regional independent media outlet close to religious circles, linked the prosecution of the imams to pressure on followers of Salafi Islam. The two imams were later released and have since resumed preaching.
IOL News
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
On this day: 'Baddest Man on the Planet' Mike Tyson is punished for biting off an opponent's ear
Bite fight Heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson takes a bite out of fellow champ Evander Holyfield's ear, for which he is punished. 1903 The first Tour de France race starts. 1907 The Orange River Colony, known as the Orange Free State, is granted self-government by the British. Today it's just Free State. 1908 SOS is adopted as the international distress signal. 1910 The Union of South Africa becomes a dominion (with a degree of self governance). 1916 On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 19 000 British soldiers are killed. 1933 Nazi Germany declares that married women shouldn't work. 1938 The SA Press Association (Sapa) – forerunner of the African News Agency (ANA) – is established to facilitate the sharing of news. 1944 At least 2 500 people are killed in London and south-east England by flying bombs (V1 rockets, or 'doodlebugs'). 1947 The passenger ship Willem Ruys, which would be renamed the Achille Lauro – familiar with many South Africans – is launched. 1962 Burundi & Rwanda gain independence from Belgium. 1963 Britain admits their diplomat Kim Philby was a Soviet agent against his homeland. 1970 British Home Secretary Reginald Maudling visits Northern Ireland and is reported as saying: 'For God's sake bring me a large Scotch. What a bloody awful country!' 1979 Sony introduces the Walkman, the first portable cassette player, which – like the iPod – revolutionises how we listen to music. 1997 The Nevada Athletic Commission suspends Mike Tyson indefinitely and withholds his $20m purse because he bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear during their heavyweight title fight five days previously. 2002 The International Criminal Court is established to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. 2017 Mexican police kill 19 gunmen in a drug-related shoot-out in Sinaloa state.2019 Japan resumes commercial whaling. 2020 A world-record drug haul of 14 tons of amphetamines is seized by Italian police in Salerno. 2020 Russian President Vladimir Putin wins a national referendum allowing for a longer presidential term of office. DAILY NEWS
IOL News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Ali Bacher urges ICC to expand Proteas' Test cricket schedule
Former South Africa captain Ali Bacher urged the ICC to expand the Proteas' Test cricket schedule following their World Test Championship victory, highlighting the need for more matches to balance the dominance of England, Australia, and India in international cricket. Picture: Sapa/IOL Following the Proteas victory in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, former South Africa captain Ali Bacher has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to see the Rainbow Nation play more matches in the longest format of the game. In the two-year cycle which ended with South Africa qualifying for the final, the Proteas played the joint fewest number of games in the qualifying period. South Africa played just 12 matches, while the big three nations in world cricket - Australia (19), India (19) and England (22) - had a much more full calendar. It's for that reason that the victory of South Africa over Australia in the final could do much to sway the ICC to schedule more matches for the Proteas.
