The DoC have recently invited comment on the Draft Electronic Communications Amendment Bill. Their invite is reproduced verbatim below. I'd like to draw your attention to one paragraph:
"The Bill will also provide a forward looking legislative framework, which facilitates government's intervention in the ICT sector in line with a developmental state."
I think I prefer William Stucke's interpratation of that innocuous statement:
"The Bill seeks to provide an opportunity for Government to increase its meddling in the telecommunications market in RSA, and to further undermine ICASA ..."
Here's your invite:
Communications Ministry invites written comments to the Draft Electronic Communications Amendment Bill
19 September 2007
The Minister of Communications, Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, invites members of the public to submit written comments to the draft Electronic Communications Amendment Bill due to be introduced in Parliament before the end of 2007.
The minister issued the general notice (No: 1200 of 2007) published in the government gazette on 17 September 2007. Members of the public have 30 working days to submit their written comments. The objective is to amend the Electronic Communications Act, of 2005, so as to empower the minister to issue a policy direction; and to provide an opportunity for government to make strategic interventions on infrastructure investments whenever it deems necessary.
In amending the Act, government will be able to address pertinent issues in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector such as reducing the cost to communicate by providing infrastructure at wholesale rate to other operators, link New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) Broadband with Africa/Latin America and Europe and provide the much needed bandwidth for strategic projects and consumers in general.
The Bill will also provide a forward looking legislative framework, which facilitates government's intervention in the ICT sector in line with a developmental state.
To access the draft bill, visit http://www.doc.gov.za, under news.
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