22 GOVERNMENT No.GAZETTE, 23708 Act No. 25,2002 22002 AUGUST ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSACTIONS ACT, 2002 (a) provide Internet connectivity to disadvantaged communities; ( b ) encourage the private sector to initiate schemes to provide universal access; (c) foster the adoption and use of new technologies for attaining universal access; and (d) stimulate public awareness, understanding and acceptance of thebenefits of 5 Internet connectivity and electronic transacting. Previously disadvantaged personsand communities 7. The Minister, in developing the national e-strategy, must provide for ways of maximising the benefitsof electronic transactions to historically disadvantaged persons and communities, including, but not limitedto10 (a) making facilities and infrastructure available or accessible to such persons and communities to enable the marketing and sale of their goods or services by way of electronic transactions; (6) providing or securing support services for such facilities and infrastructure to assist with the efficient execution of electronic transactions; and 15 (c) rendering assistance and advice to such persons and communities on ways to adopt and utilise electronic transactionsefficiently. Development of human resources 8. (1) The Minister, in developing the national e-strategy, must provide for ways of promoting development of human resources set out inthis section within the context of 20 the government’s integrated human resource development strategies, having regard to structures and programmes that have been established under existing laws. (2) The Minister must consult with the Ministers of Labour and Education on existing facilities,programmesandstructuresforeducation,trainingandhumanresource development in the information technology sector relevant to the objects of this Act. 25 (3) Subject to subsections (1) and (2), the Minister must promoteskills development in the areas ofinformationtechnologyproductsandservices in support of electronic transactions; businessstrategiesforSMMEsandotherbusinessestoutiliseelectronic 30 transactions; sectoral, regional, national, continental and international policy formulation for electronic transactions; project management on public and private sector implementation of electronic transactions; 35 the management of the .za domain name space; themanagement of the IP addresssystemfortheAfricancontinentin consultation with other Africanstates; convergence between communication technologies affecting electronic transactions; 40 technology and business standards for electronic transactions; educationonthenature,scope,impact,operation,useandbenefits of electronic transactions; and any other matter relevantto electronic transactions. SMMEs 45 9. The Ministermust, in consultation with theMinister of TradeandIndustry, evaluatetheadequacy of anyexistingprocesses,programmesandinfrastructure providing for theutilisation by SMMEs of electronic transactions and, pursuant to such evaluation, may(a) establish or facilitate the establishment of electronic communication centres 50 for SMMEs;