Pretoria – Minister of Communications Dina Pule today launched an ICT Policy Review Framing paper, which seeks clarity on the vision for the communication sectors.
Speaking at The New Age breakfast briefing in Sandton on Thursday, Pule said a 22-member ICT Policy Review Panel would assess the policy for expanding the Information Communication Technology sector.
The panel, which is divided into five sub-committees, she said, had already started with its work of reviewing the ICT policy.
"I have established a Policy Review Panel following a call for public nominations to engage all stakeholders in the process. We have made great strides in the quest to expand ICT in the country," Pule said.
The panel is initiated to review the policy and regulatory frameworks that apply to telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and e-commerce.
The review process will culminate in a White Paper on Integrated ICT Policy for South Africa by the end of 2014/15 financial year.
Pule expects the ICT Policy Review Panel to:
- Make recommendations on appropriate Policy and Regulatory frameworks that support the growth and development of the country;
- Make recommendations on implementation plans, options and time frames;
- Determine the potential impact of the reform options and their impact on the industry, consumers and the community;
- Determine the principles that will underpin this new vision and policy framework, and
- Identify progress and constraints in ICT Research and Development, ICT skills development, investment in ICTs and ICT industrial growth contributions.
The ICT Policy Review Panel is guided by the terms of reference that provide that the Panel must take into account certain parameters, such as:
- The Panel should provide a platform for stakeholders and co-ordination of the input by stakeholders;
- The Panel must liaise with key stakeholders and agencies and ensure that their views are taken into account in the development of the final report, and
- The Panel must provide a progress report within three months of starting its work and a final report within six months.
– SAnews.gov.za
