Communications minister Siphiwe Nyanda will talk to the ICT industry in the hopes that it will advise him in terms of policy creation.
Speaking last Friday at the inaugural meeting of the ICT Industry Forum, created by the ministry, Nyanda said he hoped the forum will act as a means to turn hard times into good prospects.
“The Department of Communications (DOC) is of the firm view that, despite the grave challenges facing the industry today, partnerships such as the ICT Industry Forum can serve as a catalyst to turn these challenges into opportunities.”
The minister acknowledged there have been similar initiatives in the past. However, he said these had failed because of a lack of long-term commitment on the part of the department and those companies that had participated.
“It is clear that, in order for the ICT Industry Forum to be sustainable over time, there is a need to nurture this stakeholder forum. In this regard, my department and I commit to provide leadership at both political and administrative levels. We are aware that benefits of these kinds of initiatives take time to be realised, but it's for us to identify low-hanging fruit, that are the quick wins.”
The National Association of Broadcasters, the South African Communications Forum, NAFCOC, the Black IT Forum, Communications Users of SA, Computer Society of SA, Internet Service Providers' Association, Electronic Industries Federation and Information Technology Association attended the first meeting.
The minister hopes to convene these organisations at least four times a year. He believes they will provide their opinion and advice, as well as make recommendations on legislations, policies and strategies that the department plans to release through the year.
“We seek to build long-term, sustainable partnerships with industry, underpinned by very transparent principles. No one sector in society can deliver on the complexities of sustainable development alone. Therefore, our goal is to work collaboratively with you to deliver on the mandate of this administration,” said Nyanda.
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