A research unit is to be formed to investigate some of the complex issues that arose at the information and communications technology (ICT) sector`s black empowerment charter indaba last month.
ICT empowerment working group chairman Dali Mpofu says the research unit is to be based at the offices of one of the platinum sponsors from the indaba, who is still to be named.
"The research unit will be using every available resource to investigate the difficult issues raised at the indaba. This will include working with research institutions like BMI-TechKnowledge and examining other empowerment charters from the financial and mining sectors," Mpofu says.
"They will then feed that information to the working group which will be formulating the other issues for the charter in the interim which do not require research," he says.
The working group will also hold a mini-summit at the end of January to discuss how the charter will assist in bridging the digital divide. Mpofu says the working group is also in discussions with the relevant labour unions and will continue consultation with various stakeholders in the sector throughout the formulation of the charter.
The first draft of the charter is expected to be released by the end of November, while the final draft is expected to be completed sometime after the mini-summit.
Mpofu concedes that the working group is running behind its original schedule, which stated the final draft would be completed at the end of October, with the public hand-over to government at the end of November. However, he says the group could still make the deadline for the completion of the project set for May 2004.
"Obviously we will have to complete the research and hold the mini-summit before the final draft can be compiled, but we could still be finished by May/June next year. However, while we are trying to stick as close as possible to the goals we have set for ourselves, we won`t sacrifice inclusivity and broad consultation for the sake of time," he says.
Share
