65 In 2011, Parliament signed the Draft Amendments to the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice, and in 2012 such amendments became part of the B-BBEE Act, necessitated by experiences of complexity with the previous framework. The changes are meant to simplify and accelerate the implementation of the B-BBEE codes as they stand. These codes primarily enhance the assimilation of SMMEs, who are black owned and managed, in the value chain, thereby facilitating skills development and broader economic empowerment. In the 2012 Employment Equity Commission Report, the levels of compliance in relation to management have improved over time. Employment Equity Figures for 2012. Indicator B-BBEE Target Current Level Top Management 40% 30.8% Senior Management 60% 38.4% Middle Management 75% 55.6% Source: Empowerment Equity Commission Report 2012. The studies show that there has been a sound year-on-year development in the seven pillars of Black Economic Empowerment including ownership, management control, employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development and socioeconomic development. Under long term conditions, profitability of companies that are compliant with B-BBEE codes is likely to increase, according to an Empowerdex Report 2006. To improve legislative implementation, government has continued to strengthen institutions tasked with monitoring regulatory compliance and enforcing such regulations. The B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice emerged in February 2007 as an implementation framework for the B-BBEE policy and legislation. After the implementation thereof, institutional mechanisms were established for the monitoring and evaluation of B-BBEE in the entire economy. In an effort to comply with the B-BBEE policy, companies have employed the services of Verification Agencies (VAs). Due to verification practices having varied from agency to agency, resulting in confusion in the market, certain revisions were required. Consequently, in the interests of harmonising accreditation and verifications practices, the DTI and the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) have put in place a process of phasing out certificates issued by non-accredited VAs. The DTI established a B-BBEE Website and IT Portal (http://bee.thedti.gov.za/ ) aimed at making legal requirements of B-BBEE available to clients and assist them in understanding the B-BBEE Scorecards, accessing a national registry of company B-BBEE profiles, sourcing B-BBEE-compliant companies for networking purposes and reporting fronting practices, amongst others. A search engine facility also provides clients with easy-to-access information, while a central repository of legal and related documents serves to keep the public informed of the regulatory framework governing B-BBEE in the country. Through external verification agency, Empowerdex, it is possible now to report that compliance on B- 65