The South Africa-based Catalytic Converter Interest Group (CCIG) has urged the government to offer "substantial" support to allow the manufacture of automotive catalysts to continue past 2013.

The government announced the implementation of an Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) last week, which is aimed at bringing the R20 billion industry in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulations.

Now CCIG chairman Hans Kuehn - who confirmed the group is in talks with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) - has released a statement calling on the authorities to provide the backing required to keep the industry competitive.

He said: "Those [catalytic converter] companies are looking for certainty - and incentives which support the business case for continuing manufacture in South Africa.

"The CCIG estimates that these incentives will have to be substantial, but that is the cost of keeping the industry in the country."

South Africa currently provides 15 per cent of the world's catalytic converter output, but Kuehn warned that with some production already leaving the country, the APDP needs to be incorporated with sufficient incentives and certainty to maintain necessary investment.



Source:

Autocat industry calls for 'substantial' new incentives as SA phases out MIDP (09/09/08)
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=142690

Catalytic converter industry made to wait over new plans (05/09/18)http://www.platinum.matthey.com/media_room/catalytic_converter_industry_made_to_wait_over_new_plans_18766510.html