Recommendations of ICT policy review panel: Departmental briefing; Telecommunications Budget Review and Recommendations Report

Telecommunications and Postal Services

24 October 2014
Chairperson: Ms M Kubayi (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

The Committee received an update on the ICT policy review project by the delegation from the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services. The policy review was to separate the frameworks which had guided the sector since 1994. Much had been changed more especially in the ICT sector as it was expanded rapidly due to the fast paced developments in technology. The department said it was necessary to change the ICT environment due to the fact that technology convergence was of particular interest to policy makers and regulators as it changed the nature of services which included the convergence of internet and media as well as the convergence in policy and regulation.

This policy development was in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) and the ICT Review process which was launched in April 2012. The aim was to develop a White Paper on ICT Policy for South Africa where the minister had appointed 22 experts that would serve on the ICT Policy Review Panel. The scope of the work of the Panel included but was not limited to making recommendations on the appropriate ICT policy and regulatory framework that sought to support the growth and development of the sector; the Panel would also make recommendations to the Minister with respect to institutional mechanisms for delivering universal access and universal service policy as well as propose recommendations regarding the development and maintenance of diverse, innovative, efficient and effective ICT market that operates within a competitive environment in the best interest of the South African public. The panel had experienced some difficulties including those who wanted to be released from the project due to other pressing commitments. She and the Minister responded to this by appointing five new Members in replacement of the Members who left and a project management office was established to support the panel. The five Committees were set up to drive the work of the ICT Policy Review process and had focused on issues including telecommunications, broadcasting, postal, investment and infrastructure as well as e-services and cyber security. The Committees conducted research on the latter key areas in order to support the policy development process and facilitate evidence-based policy making process and they were restructured to reflect the ICT sector in a converged environment form the traditional separation of subsectors post the Green Paper Gazette. The Framing Paper which set the objectives and principles that underpinned the current policy environment and the overall foundation for the discussion paper and was gazetted for public consultation in April 2013. It was followed by the proposal of the Green paper which was gazetted for public consultation in January 2014 which would canvas for the opinions on various aspects of the communications sector that needed to be reviewed.

There was a discussion paper that was being developed and that it would outline various options on key policy issues and the policy options will be largely informed by public hearings, written submissions on the Green paper, Committee work, research conducted and consultations with government stakeholders. The discussion paper would be gazetted at the beginning of November 2014. The ICT White Paper would be the government’s policy position on all matters relating to the information communications technologies and that it would be tabled in March 2015. Going forward the department would gazette the discussion paper, conduct public consultations, analyse stakeholder input, and develop a concrete recommendations report to the Minister and Department as well as the Portfolio Committee. Should the recommendations be approved, they would form the basis within which the new integrated ICT Policy White Paper would be developed and they would table the White Paper in Parliament.

During the discussions which followed the briefing, a Member of the DA asked whether the Department had developed indicators to assess their targets because the National Development plan did not only focus on access but speed as well. She asked whether it was possible to have internationally available broadband at reasonable prices especially in institutions of higher learning and more especially those who were previously marginalised such as Fort Hare and Mangosuthu University of technology. She said she believed that those schools did not have good broadband access. She also enquired about the names of the people that resigned from the panel as well as a time frame for the ICT regulatory framework.

Members asked whether any reason was given by the Members of the panel who resigned.

The BRRR Report was read out and adopted by the Committee. The main concern for Members regarding the report was grammatical errors with no other amendments.

Meeting report

The Chairperson welcomed the Members and the delegation from the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS). She received an apology from the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services.

Telecommunications Budget Review and Recommendations Report

The BRRR Report was read out by the Chairperson in the presence of the Committee Content Advisors.

Members made grammatical changes to the document and thereafter approved it.

Briefing by Department of Telecommunications

Ms Rosey Sekese, DTPS Director General presented to the Committee the progress on the ICT policy review project. She said this policy review was to separate the frameworks which had guided the sector since 1994. She said much had been changed more especially in the ICT sector as it was expanded rapidly due to the fast paced developments in technology. She said it was necessary to change the ICT environment due to the fact that technology convergence was of particular interest to policy makers and regulators as it changed the nature of services which included the convergence of internet and media as well as the convergence in policy and regulation.

Ms Sekese added that this policy development was in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) and that the ICT Review process was launched in April 2012. She said the aim was to develop a White Paper on ICT Policy for South Africa where the minister had appointed 22 experts that would serve on the ICT Policy Review Panel. She highlighted that the scope of the work of the Panel included but was not limited to making recommendations on the appropriate ICT policy and regulatory framework that seeks to support the growth and development of the sector; the Panel would also make recommendations to the Minister with respect to institutional mechanisms for delivering universal access and universal service policy as well as propose recommendations regarding the development and maintenance of diverse, innovative, efficient and effective ICT market that operates within a competitive environment in the best interest of the South African public. She said the panel had experienced some difficulties including those who wanted to be released from the project due to other pressing commitments. She said the Minister responded to this by appointing five new Members in replacement of the Members who left and a project management office was established to support the panel. She also added that five Committees were set up to drive the work of the ICT Policy Review process and had focused on issues including telecommunications, broadcasting, postal, investment and infrastructure as well as e-services and cyber security. She said they Committees conducted research on the latter key areas in order to support the policy development process and facilitate evidence-based policy making process. She said the Committees were restructured to reflect the ICT sector in a converged environment form the traditional separation of subsectors post the Green Paper Gazette. She also referred to the Framing Paper which set the objectives and Principles that underpinned the current policy environment and the overall foundation for the discussion paper and was gazetted for public consultation in April 2013. She said it was then followed the Green paper which was gazetted for public consultation in January 2014 which canvased opinions on various aspects of the communications sector that needed to be reviewed.

Ms Sekese said currently, a discussion paper was being developed and that it would outline various options on key policy issues and the policy options will be largely informed by public hearings, written submissions on the Green paper, Committee work, research conducted and consultations with government stakeholders. She said the discussion paper would be gazetted at the beginning of November 2014. She said the ICT White Paper would be the government’s policy position on all matters relating to the information communications technologies and that it would be tabled in March 2015. She said going forward they would gazette the discussion paper, conduct public consultations, analyse stakeholder input, and develop a concrete recommendations report to the Minister and Department and that they would also present them to the Portfolio Committee. She said should these recommendations be approved, they would form the basis within which the new integrated ICT Policy White Paper would be developed and they would table the White Paper in Parliament.

Discussion

The Chairperson thanked the Department for the presentation and opened the floor to questions from Members.

Ms M Shinn (DA) asked whether the department had developed indicators to assess their targets because she added that the National Development plan did not only focus on access but speed as well. She asked whether it was possible to have internationally available broadband at reasonable prices especially in institutions of higher learning and more especially those who were previously marginalised such as Fort Hare and Mangosuthu University of technology. She said she believed that those schools did not have good broadband access. She also enquired about the names of the people that resigned from the panel as well as a time frame for the ICT regulatory framework.

Ms D Tsotetsi (ANC) asked whether any reason was given for the departure of the Members of the panel who resigned.

The Chairperson remarked that those who were supposed to be role players were to be incorporated and that the issue of time frames gives was paramount in positioning the policy framework. She said as a Department in conjunction with the Committee they needed to understand where it is they were going in facilitation this ICT policy reviews so as to achieve their goals. She said she noted the progress by the department and that it would assist the Committee in its oversight function. She said overall she appreciated the presentation.

Ms Sekese said Stats SA has been engaged to set up an account for the ICT centre so as to be able to set out which areas, such as those institutions of higher learning needed interventions more than other areas. She said they referred to the World Economic ICT Sector to determine the manner in which they conducted their ICT review policy which included issues of cost and maintenance. She sad that fundamentally, they were establishing a basis of where they were in terms of the ICT field and that a number of key interventions were underway which included access to broadband for all, especially institutions of higher learning, speed access as well as costs.  She added that the mapping of schools was done by the Department of Education and that unfortunately the challenge they faced was that of not being able to include everyone in getting access to broadband. She said she applauded the Minister for intervening in the issue of the resignation of the Members of the panel and that they had made formal submissions. She said they would be able to table a detailed report to the Committee on their resignations and have the names of the people there but their resignations were mostly based on time constraints and their pressing commitments. She said they were now looking forward for the cabinet approval on the ICT Policy in 2015 so they could implement it.

The Chairperson asked if there was any remuneration for Members of the panel. She asked if Members had any follow up questions.

Ms Skekese said the Members of the panel had received a small allowance because the project had a budget and that National Treasury had set aside about R5 million for the project.

There were no follow up questions from Committee Members.

The Chairperson thanked the delegation from the Department for informing the Committee on their work and progress

The meeting was adjourned.

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