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ICT roadmap on a budget

Funding for the Department of Science and Technology's ICT research, development and innovation roadmap is "limited", it says.

Marin'e Jacobs
By Marin'e Jacobs
Johannesburg, 06 Sept 2013

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is working to secure more funding for the implementation of its ICT research, development and innovation (RDI) roadmap. This is according to Isaac Maredi, chief director for sector innovation and global change at the department.

According to Maredi, the DST has been able to implement some projects and initiatives contained within the roadmap, but funding is limited. "The DST is working diligently to raise more funds and this includes continuous engagement with the National Treasury, private sector and looking for co-funding opportunities with other government departments and international partners," he says.

The ICT RDI roadmap was approved by Cabinet in May and is a long-term investment by the DST specifically developed to unlock the potential that ICT has for socio-economic development. At the time, Maredi said investment in the roadmap was set at R9 billion over the next 10 years, to be co-funded by other government departments, the private sector and other role-players. He did not explain why funding for the roadmap is now considered "limited".

Specific strategic plans are outlined in the roadmap to guide SA's investment in ICT RDI over the next decade. Maredi, however, notes the roadmap will be reviewed on a regular basis.

"As ICTs are rapidly evolving with new advances and developments happening frequently, it becomes natural and logical that the RDI roadmap will be reviewed and refreshed on a regular basis in order to ensure the South African ICT sector remains globally competitive through RDI," he says. "However, amendments cannot happen sporadically, so the reasonable time frame acceptable by all role players is for a review to happen over two- to three-year intervals."

The roadmap is driven by the CSIR Meraka Institute and aims to achieve specific ICT goals, namely: increasing ICT access for all South Africans; modernising the South African economy; modernising the South African government; creating a vibrant, well-developed ICT industry; enabling e-science in SA; and increasing e-participation by citizens for government.

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