Black economic empowerment (BEE) verification agency Inforcomm has launched a new tool to validate BEE certificates issued by the company to protect the integrity of BEE certificates.

BEE rating certificates can only be issued by accredited verification agencies.

Since December 7, 2011, when it became law that entities trading with government must present valid BEE certificates or face disqualification from the tender process, Inforcomm has seen an increase in the number of fraudulent BEE certificates in the market.

“We are launching this initiative after falling victim to this crime when we discovered five certificates issued under our company name that were actually not issued by us. “A case of fraud has since been opened with the South African Police Service,” says the company’s Andile Tlhoaele.

Inforcomm BEE rating certificates can now be validated online 24 hours a day throughout the year by simply logging onto www.BEEandYourBusiness.com and then registering one’s details before entering the Inforcomm BEE rating certificate number. A copy of the original certificate will then be received immediately through email.

Inforcomm recently launched the first 24-hour service to apply for BEE rating certificates online – shortening the verification process by 60%.

“The online validation tool will complement the recently launched service to apply for BEE certificates online 24 hours a day throughout the year, as both services are accessible [round the clock]. “Our aim is to make it easier for business to implement BEE, which will improve the ease of doing business in South Africa,” says Tlhoaele.