AllProDC AGM – Report
AllProDC AGM
The Alliance of Professional Debt Counsellors met last week for their Annual General Meeting in Paarl, Western Cape.
AGM was held at KWV in Paarl in their lovely chambers on the first floor. Attendees met in the drawing room before hand to mingle and then headed into the boardroom for the meeting itself. Though AllProDC now consists of members country wide the core of the organisation is still based in the Western Cape and thus the meeting was held in this area with DCs and others coming from across the country to attend.
The AGM began with a review of the previous AGM minutes and the chairmans report. The outgoing chairman quickly focused in on the Credit Industry Forum (CIF) where AllProDC have been involved over the last year. He stated that Debt Counsellors and Consumers (in debt review) are still under represented and that it seems that the CIF have sadly fallen into rehashing DRAC decisions.
The Debt Review Advisory Committee (DRAC) was a predecessor of CIF and was decommissioned by the NCR. Several times this year members have traveled to Gauteng for CIF meetings only to have them cancelled last minute and this has been an indication that the NCR do not take the efforts from Debt Counsellors with limited funds seriously. Often times matters they have raised have not been minuted and they see this as a serious failing at CIF.
Geil stated that consideration would have to be given to continued participation and support [this matter was discussed and voted on later at the AGM]. They hope to see matters now improved after visiting the NCR and complaining. Sadly the NCR representative (and the DTI attendee) who had been invited to the AGM both did not show up.
Members indicated that this appeared to be a real insult to the organisation and they were displeased.
Next the Chairman commented on the growth of the regional presence of AllProDC and thanked the outgoing NEC for all their work. He also mentioned the work in the past of Alan Manshon of the Money Clinic. He also thanked the organisations sponsors for their financial input.
Next Hennie Vermaas gave the Financial Report and spoke of the new bookkeeping firm being used. December will see the books audited and reports submitted to members.
Making Changes
Some minor grammatical changes and references to sections of the NCA were changed in the organisation’s constitution as well as the addition of honorary memberships. Then it was time to elect new members for the National Executive Committee.
Chairperson: Zune Coetzer
Vice Chairperson: Gerald Rodrigues
Secretary: Adri De Bruyn
Treasurer: Hennie Vermaas
The Way Forward
Items of concern and to be focused on were next on the agenda.
The NCR’s actions against Debt Counsellor Deborah Solomon and inaction against large Debt Counselling firms who seem to get away with illegal actions. This lead to a discussion regarding continued participation at CIF and the members voted to continue to do so but to focus in on the NCR and monitoring of larger DC firms not just action against or ignoring smaller practices.
Court Out
Also mentioned was the ineffectiveness of courts in the gauteng area in regard to debt review and how Magistrates in this area seem to want to burden troubled consumers with further costs and delay the process. It was described as embarrassing to the judiciary.
Whining & Dining
After the AGM closed off the attendees from the various legal firms and PDAs got to chat with Debt Counsellors over a few glasses of KWV wine during a taste testing as well as lunch. Members got to chat about common issues and learn a few tips and tricks from one another in a friendly atmosphere before heading home for the weekend.
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