Two Parliamentary committees have referred three key Bills to the National Assembly to be voted into law.
The science and technology portfolio committee has endorsed the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) Bill, while the trade and industry portfolio committee approved the Standards Bill, as well as the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NCRS) Bill.
The latter two pieces of legislation will see the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) stripped of its regulatory and enforcement functions and vest those in a new agency, the NRCS. The Standards Bill will redefine the SABS as the developer of standards, be it the correct weight of a loaf of bread, or safety features on a laptop.
SABS standards executive Geoff Visser last month told MPs the Bills will enable the more efficient application of standards and regulations.
The TIA Bill is part of science and technology minister Mosibudi Mangena's drive to create a "National System of Innovation".
Science and technology director-general Phil Mjwara says the objective is to create a public entity that will encourage and stimulate innovation and invention.
The Bill had its origins in a white paper in 1996 and is part of government's research and development strategy introduced in 2002. This found that innovation was bedevilled by a lack of access to venture capital; the poor management of intellectual property rights; and a lack of business development skills on the part of many innovators.
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