The ICT sector has shown a "remarkable degree of maturity" as regards empowerment and transformational challenges.
This is according to the newly appointed deputy minister of communications, Radhakrishna Roy Padayachie, who delivered the keynote address at the opening of Futurex 2004: The Conference in Johannesburg today.
Dali Mpofu, chairman of the ICT charter working group, officially handed over the third draft of the ICT black economic empowerment charter to the minister at the event.
Padayachie said the local telecommunications sector had undergone "significant transformation" in the past decade. "We have witnessed an expansion of the telecommunications infrastructure, the democratisation and transformation of institutions such as Telkom, Sentech, the SABC and the South African Post Office; the rapid expansion of mobile telephony with more than 19 million people connected; and the promulgation of new policies and regulations that govern the industry."
He said the Department of Communications had played a central role, "driving and facilitating this process and playing a leading role in the policy development process across all fronts: in telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and in e-commerce".
The private sector, said the minister, "is critical to the further development and expansion of the telecommunications infrastructure and must take centre-stage in driving the economic growth of the industry".
Prior to handing over the latest draft of the charter, Mpofu told delegates that he was confident that the remaining contentious issues still under discussion around the charter would be resolved "soon". Among these was the issue of equity ownership and he planned to meet with certain US-based multinationals soon to address this.
He advised delegates that the final date for submissions on the charter to the workgroup had been extended from 24 May to the end of the month. He anticipated that the final version would be released on 25 June, but indicated that this deadline would also be slightly extended if more time were required.
Mpofu added that economic transformation would "never be finished in our lifetime. The notion of a 'living document` must be accepted."
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