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First Interim IGA Meeting Held To Facilitate The Roll Out Of The Nepad Broadband Ict Infrastructure Network For East And Souther | 21 February 2008 |

Tshwane, South Africa, 20 December 2006. Twenty-five representatives from Eastern and Southern African countries held their first interim Inter-Governmental Authority (IGA) meeting here on 15 December 2006 to fast track implementation of the NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network for the region.

The meeting follows the signing of the protocol on policy and regulatory framework for the network by a majority of countries involved in the project.

Says Dr Henry Chasia, Executive Deputy Chairperson of the NEPAD e-Africa Commission that coordinates the project, “Twelve countries have signed the Kigali Protocol and these constitute a contiguous terrestrial network. The Ratification process is on going in some countries, and we hope that enough countries will have ratified the protocol for it to come into force by early 2007. The protocol will come into force once 51 percent of the signatory countries have ratified it. Thereafter, we shall move quickly towards implementation of the EASSy cable and associated networks to connect the countries of the region”.

The NEPAD ICT Infrastructure Network is expected to greatly reduce the costs of telecommunications and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of how Africa does business.

“South Africa regards the NEPAD ICT broadband network that includes the EASSy cable, as crucial to the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup event, and since this is an African event, our collective efforts are needed to achieve this.”, Said Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Director General of South Africa Department of Communications.

The countries represented were The Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe participated in the deliberations. Burundi attended as observer.

After this first meeting, the country representatives adopted the rules of procedure for their meetings, and elected the Interim IGA (I-IGA) office bearers. Engineer G.S. Mlilo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications, was elected as Chairperson of I-IGA, while Brig. General Peter Tembo, Zambian Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications; and Dr David Turahi, Ag. Director of Communications, Ugandan Ministry of ICT, were elected First and Second Deputy Chairpersons, respectively.

Other issues discussed during the meeting included the identification of firms to carry out studies to determine the regulated return on investment, draft the shareholders’ agreement and nominate shareholding entities. The meeting also decided to re-configure the network while providing allowances for the incorporation of other countries within the region that may opt to become part of the network in future.

Early next year, a meeting of prospective shareholders of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will own, develop, operate and maintain the network, will be held. The next I-IGA meeting will be held in Harare, Zimbabwe in March 2007.

For more information and media inquiries, please contact:

Samuel Mikenga
Communications Manager,
NEPAD e-Africa Commission
Tel: +27 72 529 6769 (South Africa)
E-mail: smikenga@eafricacommission.org