PANASONIC Systems Company announced on Monday it has appointed its first empowerment franchise called OSEC (Office Solutions Empowerment Company. The firm said OSEC is a private black owned operational company dealing in office automation with the majority shareholding of 70% owned by the managing director, Mthandeni Bengane, and the remainder owned by the other director, Marius Grobbelaar. “The relationship between Pananonic and OSEC addresses the need for a true empowerment company that provides perfect office solutions to corporate companies. This is an area which has lacked the empowerment element in the past,” said Panasonic managing director Martin Maddox. Many large corporations and government institutions have implemented policies in their procurement departments whereby a minimum of 20 percent of their budgets must be spent with empowerment companies.