being undertaken by the SADC Implementing Agencies, namely; CRASA, SATA
and SAPOA on behalf of the Region. He also commended the support accorded
by International Cooperating Partners
In his address Honourable Louis Pelembe, the Minister of Science and
Technology, Mozambique and Chair of the SADC ICT Ministers, commended
the Republic of Angola for their achievements and able leadership during their
tenure as Chair of the SADC Committee of Senior Officials and SADC
Committee of Ministers, which led to the development of the SADC Regional
Infrastructure Master Plan (RIDMP). The RIDMP was adopted by Summit at
their Meeting held in Maputo in Mozambique in August 2012.
The Chair of the SADC Committee of Ministers noted the pivotal role that ICTs
played in the development and enhancement of the living conditions of the
SADC citizens. He emphasised that the high access costs deserved the
attention of the Ministers and in particular the issue of Roaming tariff, which
was the topic of discussion under SADC Home and Away Roaming Project. He
also noted the role that Postal services could play in the Region and
highlighted the issue of cyber security, as being one of the important issues in
the attainment of Regional Integration. He commended the role that SADC
Secretariat continues to play in guiding and coordinating the harmonization
and participation of SADC Member States, at International Fora. He hailed the
development of the Master Plan as a significant move that would enable the
Region to realize the ideals of Regional Integration and poverty alleviation.
In his opening speech, Honourable Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum, the host
and Minister of ICT, Mauritius alluded to the relevance of the theme of the
meeting, moving SADC towards the Broadband ecosystem’’, and mentioned
that if Broadband was to be fully developed and deployed it would work
towards developing economies such as those in the SADC Region and ín turn,
reduce the cost of communications. He emphasized that it was time for Africa
to join the rest of the world as an equal partner in the framework of actions
and choices for socio-economic development, and to achieve this SADC would
be required to re strategise. He commended the work that the SADC Region
was undertaking towards the development of the Postal Sector with a view to
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