Possible interim charter plan soon

By Itumeleng Mogaki, ITWeb junior journalist

Johannesburg, 22 Aug 2005

The ICT empowerment charter steering committee is to meet next week to discuss possible interim arrangements following another delay in the charter process.

This time, the charter, which players hoped to see implemented by mid-2005, is being held up by a delay in finalising the Department of Trade and Industry`s (DTI`s) Code of Good Practice.

Industry stakeholders want the ICT empowerment charter to be closely aligned with the DTI`s code, to make compliance easier for those industries that are regulated by both sets of guidelines. The steering committee therefore has to wait for the final DTI code before it can finalise the charter.

Steering committee chairman Joe Mjwara told ITWeb this morning that the committee is still waiting for the DTI`s code, in contradiction to his statement last month that the committee had the code and was considering it.

Mjwara says the general ICT industry feels there is a need to come up with an interim arrangement.

"The committee will call a meeting at the end of this month to consider what to do next and possibly come up with interim arrangements to the charter," he says.

"Although we are not sure what is now holding back the DTI from publishing the code, the only step left for the committee is to consider the DTI`s code so as to align it with the charters."

He says the committee has not had any form of contact with the DTI in order to find out when exactly the code will be published.

"Until they [the DTI] finalise the code, it is pointless for us to talk to them. Ultimately the ICT charter is dependent on the DTI`s code," says Mjwara.