Proposed changes to the mechanism of appointing Independent Communication Authority of SA (ICASA) councillors was a bone of contention in Parliament today.
In the first day of public hearings before the parliamentary portfolio committee of communications on the ICASA amendment Bill, representatives from ICASA, the SA Post Office, Internet Solutions and the Freedom of Expression Institute expressed concerns that the appointment of ICASA councillors would be taken out of Parliament`s hands and given to a committee appointed by the minister of communications.
The ICASA amendment Bill is considered key to the managed liberalisation process of the South African ICT sector and goes hand-in-hand with the Electronic Communications Bill (Convergence Bill).
ICASA councillor Tracy Cohen was emphatic in her presentation that the appointment of councillors should remain within Parliament in order to preserve transparency.
Cohen also criticised the ICASA amendment Bill for not doing enough to detail the funding the regulator should be receiving from government.
In Internet Solutions` presentation, the issue of funding was also raised and the Internet service provider expressed concern that unless this issue was sorted out, the regulator would be unable to fulfil its mandate properly.
Cohen also suggested the number of councillors remain at no more than seven or less than five. She said the expertise needed by councillors would be acquired over time with the support of the various staff within the regulator.
Cohen also expressed concern with the proposed performance management system, saying there are no job descriptions for the councillors and the measurements to be used are not clearly identifiable.
She also said submitting currently appointed councillors to the proposed system may lead to a change in employment conditions. She said giving the chairperson the ability to enter into performance agreements with other councillors would undermine the spirit of collective decision-making in the council.
Share