The salaries of Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) councillors have been increased by at least 29%, the Department of Communications has confirmed.
The increase goes into effect from 1 October, states a department spokesman.
According to the new salary structure, ICASA councillors will receive an annual salary of R678 000 to R726 000, which is the equivalent of a starting package for a deputy director-general, he says.
This is a 29% increase from the R525 000 annual salary recorded in ICASA's 2006 annual report.
The salary of the chairperson has also been increased from R639 000, as recorded in the annual report, to match that of a government director-general, he says. The new figure is between R870 000 and R940 000, the spokesman reveals.
The remuneration of ICASA councillors is one of the issues government had been concerned about, as ICASA needs to be strengthened to ensure it can retain its councillors and skilled personnel, he adds.
Retaining talent
The challenge faced by ICASA to offer competitive salary packages, as compared to the private sector, was recently highlighted by Andrew Barendse. The newly-appointed ICASA councillor reportedly turned down government's offer for the position and joined Telkom's regulatory affairs division.
According to a Mail & Guardian report, Barendse said the remuneration offered by ICASA was insufficient and he accepted Telkom's offer for economic reasons.
ICASA previously said it would subject all positions within the organisation to a skills audit and a job grading system, in order to ensure the organisation is competitive.
"It is important for ICASA to be able to resist poaching of skilled personnel by the industry by remunerating staff appropriately and creating a satisfying career path for individuals," the regulator said in an open letter published in June.
ICASA subsequently applied for additional funding of R57 million from the National Treasury (through the Department of Communications), which was to be used for the implementation of the Electronic Communications Act and the ICASA Amendment Act. The allocation also covers salaries for new councillors.
The regulator now says it has concluded its skills audit and a job grading system and the results will be implemented in the next financial year.
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