Among those who will keep a close watch on today’s Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) is the brains trust of the South African defence industry (SADI).
As part of ongoing lobbying efforts to promote SADI as an economic driver in South Africa, the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association of SA (AMD) interacted with senior National Treasury (NT) officials at last month’s Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition.
The breakfast meeting in a flight line chalet at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof was hailed as a landmark event, the first of its kind between the holders of South Africa’s national purse strings and those responsible for manufacturing and maintaining the arms and ammunition essential for national sovereignty.
The latest AMD newsletter has it the meeting was about strengthening collaboration with SADI, facilitating dialogue on key issues affecting the defence sector and “setting the stage for enhanced co-operation”.
Among what the newsletter calls “significant points” raised were the role of local content and production; monitoring tools and the importance of ring-fencing resources for defence procurement. A question and answer session, deemed “robust” brought to light the need for development of a strategic framework catering specifically for South Africa’s defence and security sectors with SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya stressing the importance of “tailored procurement solutions”.
AMD has it the Waterkloof breakfast was “a vital moment in the promotion of co-operation between NT and the defence industry”.
“This engagement emphasised the need for continued dialogue to ensure that financial and regulatory frameworks support the defence sector’s growth, sustainability and transformation.”
