Complaint email sent to ABVA 

Dear ABVA,
 
Please read the email from BEE Ratings below.
 
For your infomation I'm also attaching the Competition Commission ruling, which clearly states that "ABVA has undertaken to raise awareness among its members regarding the concerns raised in the complaint to ensure that if the practice exists it is not condoned." As you know the complaint covered amongst others you and your members stating that self-rating was not acceptable.
 
1) Please explain to me if you condone this action as per the email below.

2) Please regard this an an official complaint against a member of ABVA and inform me what action you will be taking against this member who has consistently dis-regarded your codes of conduct.

3) Please explain what actions you have taken to ensure that you have raised awareness among your members.

4) Please explain how you will redress the damage your member has caused.

Unless I receive a satisfactory answer by close of business on Tuesday, 11th March, I will be asking the Competition Commission to investigate why you are disregarding an agreement made with them, and this time I shall be asking for punitive damages by asking the Competition Tribunal to take this further. Last time, I simply asked them to give an opinion, but as you know you deliberately tried to misinterpret their ruling......

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Email received from BEE Ratings Solutions

BEE Update:  Self Ratings not valid

Spending money on suppliers who did self-assessment to compile their BBBEE scorecard does not count as BEE procurement spend on your scorecard.

According to a trade and industry department guideline (issued October 2007), self-assessed scorecards will not be recognised seeing that self-assessed scoring does not provide sufficient proof of a supplier's BBBEE status (Mail & Guardian, 13 February 2008).

Make sure that your suppliers provide you with official BEE verification documentation that is valid. BEE Rating Solutions is a full member of ABVA (Association of BEE Verification Agencies) and can provide valid scorecards to you and your suppliers.  In addition, we undertake to issue your scorecard within 48 hours for an Exempt Micro Enterprise (EME) and within 5 working days for a Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE) or Generic verification once all supporting evidence has been submitted.