Carrim drafts DoC strategy through 2014 elections

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13 November 2013 News

Department of Communications minister, Yunus Carrim, recently presented to parliament's portfolio committee on communications his plans for the period until the 2014 national elections. While stressing the somewhat incomplete nature of the draft in its current form and the need to hammer out the details with stakeholders such as state-owned companies (SOC), he painted a fairly detailed picture of where the department stands right now and where it's heading.

Yunus Carrim

Carrim’s speech acknowledged challenges currently facing the DoC, singling out issues such as corruption; capacity and resource shortages amongst SOCs; and the weakness of trade unions in the sector, amongst others.

Broad themes identified in the draft strategy include achieving a more effective DoC through the filling of critical vacant posts and ensuring the department functions in a more consensual way with ICT stakeholders and is more sensitive to the needs of consumers.

The minister said he will focus on achieving 'realistic and realisable' goals in the time remaining until the elections, while setting a firm foundation for more effective service delivery in the 2014 – 2019 term. The importance of the ICT sector was recognised as Carrim said a less fragmented and fractious ICT sector is a priority objective, as is the finalisation of the National Integrated ICT Policy Review.

Carrim concluded by proposing that his department prioritise the following key areas over the coming months:

* Broadband policy, strategy and plan.

* Development of an effective spectrum policy.

* Further reducing the costs to communicate.

* Beginning the rollout of digital migration.

* Greater focus on rural and other underserviced areas.

* Greater stability in the SOCs.

* Corporatisation of Postbank.

* ICT Policy Review.

* National ICT Forum.

* Community media.

* Legislation in the form of the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, ICASA Amendment Bill, South African Post Office Amendment Bill and the Postbank Amendment Bill.

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Carrim drafts DoC strategy through 2014 elections

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