Sihlalo, malunga lahloniphekile, Ndvuna kanye netivakashi tetfu ... [Chairperson, hon members, Minister and our guests ...]
... indeed across the political spectrum we all are in agreement that the cost of telecommunication services in our country is too high. The President has said many times that we need to do something about these costs as they become a hindrance to our economic development.
We therefore welcome the initiative and the intervention by the Department of Public Enterprises to ensure that you come in, intervene and act where the market has failed to do so. In my understanding, you don't crowd out the private sector where they are failing to do what they are supposed to do. We, therefore, as a portfolio committee, are fully behind and in support of that intervention.
We have received a number of submissions during the public hearings. Some of those were from the Department of Communications and also from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. We have tried to address their concerns.
One of the concerns which was raised by Icasa was the manner in which the Bill suggested that Infraco should be licensed. We acceded, as a portfolio committee, after considering quite a number of factors, that indeed Infraco should be licensed through the normal processes of the Electronic Communications Act.
However, we noted that this process would take time and this might delay the intervention which the state requires. We then said that we must exempt Infraco and deal with the amendments to the Electronic Communications Act to ensure that the licensing of Infraco is done in a speedy way rather than following the normal processes.
As a committee, we thought that both the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Public Enterprises need to ensure that they come up with policy directives to ensure that we don't have a duplication of functions between Sentech and Infraco. We think that is going to assist so that we don't duplicate state resources because, indeed, they might take a decision in terms of business interests where they decide to use broadband or to follow the other line and so on.
On behalf of the committee, I would like to wish the outgoing chairperson well. We thank you for your leadership and stewardship. Indeed, for the first time in the committee I was given a chance to co-chair a public hearing and that was a wonderful experience. [Applause.] As the ANC we support the Bill. Thank you. [Applause.]