Question NW96 to the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
16 February 2017 - NW96
Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
(1) Why was the (a) regulatory impact assessment or (b) socio-economic impact assessment not done before submitting the National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper to Cabinet for approval; (2) What evidence was used to support the decision to establish an open access wireless network including all supporting material?
Reply:
(1) (a) A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been replaced by the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) in line with a Cabinet directive; (b) It is a requirement by Cabinet to submit a SEIAS report with any new policy that Cabinet must approve. The SEIAS report on the National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper, which is available on the Department’s website, was approved by the DPME and accordingly submitted with the policy document when it was approved by Cabinet on 28 September 2016.
(2) The evidence included but was not limited to:
Both the National Development Plan (NDP) and SA Connect refer to open access as the basis of the future market structure for the ICT sector. The call for open access was also included in the report of the ICT Policy Review Panel which was appointed by the Department to advise on the development of the final policy. In addition to the work of the panel, we also undertook international benchmarking with countries which have implemented Open Access or seek to implement Open Access Network as a mechanism to address public safety, broadband roll-out, limitations with scarce spectrum resource, competition, remove barriers to entry through introduction of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO), and market failures.