Hon Deputy Chair, hon Minister, let me firstly welcome and acknowledge the commitment and the speed with which you
are moving to address the issues that relate to the vulnerability of SMMEs through establishing this important office.
Now, in light of that which I have just raised, in your own view, how will this office ... or how will the ombudsman be empowered to protect SMMEs from corporate bullying?
We also need to acknowledge the fact that it's not only government departments that pay small businesses late. We have SMMEs that render services to the mines and other big private companies. They get paid very late. So we are not only addressing the issue in relation to government departments. We want to raise ... in terms of corporate bullying as well as to ensure the enforcement of prompt payment of SMMEs ... Thanks.