The South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) is the sole national accreditation body responsible for an internationally recognised and effective accreditation and monitoring system for the Republic of South Africa. In this regard SANAS has been supporting government departments in the protection of health, safety, the environment and economic growth objectives and has thus contributed towards the achievement of government’s strategic objectives to advance South Africa’s trade and industry as well as supporting regional integration and relations to advance South Africa’s trade, industrial policy and economic development objectives.
The Industrial Policy Action Plan 2 (IPAP2) of the South African Government called on SANAS to play a continuous strategic industrial policy role in the achievement of IPAP objectives. In 2011/12 SANAS focused its time and efforts on the development of two new accreditation programmes, namely the accreditation programmes Measurement and Verification of Energy Efficiency and Responsible Tourism.
The accreditation programmes for Measurement and Verification of Energy Efficiency (EE) was finalised in 2011. This programme will support industry’s efforts to save energy and will also enable the industry to access an income tax allowance. In terms of the income tax allowance, industry will be entitled to claim an allowance for EE savings resulting from activities in the production of income. This allowance will enable the industry to capture the full profit from the energy savings during each year in which incremental EE savings are realised. The Inspection Bodies will be accredited to ISO/IEC 17020, SATS 50 010 and any relevant interpretation thereof.
The accreditation program for responsible tourism will be rolled out in 2012/13. This programme is the result of a year’s work of tourism experts and SANAS personnel and was developed after the South African government’s department responsible for tourism in the Republic of South Africa, the Department of Tourism, approached SANAS in 2011 with a request to develop an accreditation programme for responsible tourism in South Africa.
The government of South Africa is of the view that the credibility of the certification schemes associated with the South African Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism (SANS 1162) will be absolutely essential to attracting socially and environmentally conscious travellers and to positioning South Africa as a bona fide Responsible Tourism destination on the world stage. Certification bodies will be accredited to the relevant ISO/IEC standard, SANS 1162 and any relevant interpretation thereof.
