BuaNews (Tshwane)
Michael Appel
23 August 2007
Pretoria — A Presidential International Advisory Council (PIAC) is to advise President Thabo Mbeki on how best to take advantage of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as an economic enabler.
The Department of Communications is facilitating the PIAC meeting on Information Society and Development (ISAD) to be held from 24 to 26 August 2007 in KwaZulu-Natal.
The council annually and is tasked with advising the President on trends in the ICT sector.
It also gives advice on how South Africa, as a developmental state, can take advantage of opportunities presented by ICTs to increase the economic growth of the country while reducing poverty.
The high level council members attending the meeting include Vice President of Oracle Corporation Sergio Giacoletto, Chair of EDventure Holdings Esther Dyson, Director of HBD Venture Capital Mark Shuttleworth, President of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa Jean-Phillipe Courtois.
Deputy Minister for Communications, Roy Padayachie said at an ICT Conference held earlier this year that ICTs will play a critically important role in pumping up the GDP to the required 6 percent.
"The cost of broadband and telecommunication is about six to eight times more expensive than in Brazil and other countries. However, gradually we are starting to see an impact on the [broadband and telecom] costs."
This is due to the National Communications Act.
At the time, the deputy minister also said government would be implementing the Information and Society Development Plan to increase uptake and usage of ICTs by government in order to improve service delivery.
Research manager for National Government Nicky Pope at ForgeAhead, a leading ICT Research and Consulting House, told media in July this year that "national government departments are moving towards citizen centred service provision and not bureaucracy centred governance.
"The departments are gearing towards results and attempting to be more service delivery orientated."
Ms Pope added the country's ICT development was focussed on using technology for economic and social development.
The PIAC on ISAD was originally called the Presidential Task Force on Information Society and Development, and comprised of a group of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Presidents and heads of major international corporations and experts involved in the field of ICTs.
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