10 March 2006
	INTRODUCTION Future LIES IN BEE across all SECTORS By Sibonelo Radebe Black economic empowerment is a moral and economic imperative for every business

There is general consensus in SA that black economic empowerment (BEE) is an imperative that cuts across every sector of the economy. The economy can be sustained only with a meaningful graduation of previously disadvantaged communities into every sector. That means BEE is not just for companies wanting to secure business with the public sector, but the moral obligation of every business, big or small, from retail to mining. BEE poses different challenges in different economic sectors. That is partly why a number of sectors have chosen to develop sector-specific BEE guidelines, known as charters. For example, the financial sector charter has placed considerable emphasis on extending service to previously disadvantaged communities, which could unlock more value than just equity transactions. Equally important is the fact that small and medium-sized businesses cannot be subject to the same regulations as big business. That is why, in developing the codes of good practice, the department of trade & industry has included special concessions for small business and also for international corporations. This part of the magazine ranks BEE performance on different sectors of the JSE. Though sector particularities may not be clearly visible in the raw rating data, the accompanying editorial by FM writers should help complete the picture.