Parliament's communications committee told the Universal Services and Access Agency of SA (USAASA) to "drastically revise" its strategy to bring it in line with its mandate and to take into account changes in technology.
Godfrey Oliphant (ANC), chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio on Communications, said in his summing up at the end of the agency's strategy presentation that USAASA had to fully address issues such as: how it interacts with the Media Diversity Development Agency on broadcasting issues; how it takes into account issues that the convergence phenomenon presented; how it planned to unlock funds that the National Treasury held for the Universal Access Fund; and how it saw its expanding mandate in terms of the Electronic Communications Act.
"Your plan needs a drastic revision... and we plan to hear about it during our oversight visits in May," Oliphant said.
Members of Parliament also expressed concern over the process of getting the Under Serviced Area Licensees (USALs) off the ground. Out of the initial group of seven that were licensed, only one appeared to be making a success of it, while most of the others were fighting to either stave off liquidation or are looking for extra funding to shore up operational expenditure.
The politicians also fingered the Department of Communications (DOC), which is government's primary shareholder in USAASA, as the root of its many problems. However, UAASA chairman and acting CEO Cassandra Gabriel said the agency was in discussions with the DOC over a number of its projects.
Last month, communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri told the committee that she was reconsidering the role of the USALs in the light of their problems. The members of Parliament pointed out that the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) does not mention them at all and thus provides the USALs with no specific protections.
Money concerns
Kgotso Khumalo (ANC) said he was concerned the telecommunications operators were paying money into the Universal Service Fund and that very little of it was coming back into the industry.
"What is the point of collecting that money if it is not being used for what it is meant for? It has just become another form of taxation," he said.
Eric Kholwane (ANC) asked what equipment was located in the telecenters and Gabriel responded that USAASA was unable to give a clear picture to the committee of what was in these centres as it did not have the resources to monitor them constantly. She said a survey completed by a research company, Africa Response, had not proved "satisfactory".
Lumka Yengeni (ANC) then questioned the wisdom of funding the rollout of another 160 telecenters "if USAASA is not able to say what the status of the present 148 is."
Oliphant rounded off the session, saying that it was the communication committee's task to "stabilise USAASA, as we have sought to stabilise the situation with the regulator."
He quipped that the committee members were not throwing "punches at USAASA, but rather giving it a gentle massage to get it right."
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