The case for smart partnership

Following is an abstract from a recent paper by Jay Naidoo, South African Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting. The role of intemational companies in emerging market and dynamic geographical location needs to be investigated. The Southern African Development Community, and the Southern African Transport and Communications Commission, in particular are important foundations. The developments towards creating a common regulatory framework through the formation of an Association of Regulators, to ensure a unified approach for the industry, are important milestones. Private intemational funding forms an integral part of this strategy, through the creation of a stable environment for investor confidence and sustainable investment. The key elements include the creation of public-private partnerships and the restructuring of public enterprises as one of the mechanisms for meeting the infrastructure backlog and the expansion of telecommunications investment programmes to provide more adequate and efficient infrastructure services in support of industrial and regional development. The convergence of technologies has also begun to affect not only the ways in which markets are structured, but also the alliances of companies in broadcasting, telecommunications and general media services. These developments affect both the infrastructure and the content components of the telecommunications sector and require a multi-sector approach involving related industrial and trade policies.

The rapid pace of change means that policy-making has become a dynamic process. One particular goal is to balance the provision of basic telecommunications with the delivery of advanced information services capable of meeting the needs of the growing South African economy. The logic of the above approach requires greater investment in the expansion of the network, as well as in human resources development, to meet the technical, professional and business requirements that will enable emerging markets to meet their society objectives. The biggest challenge facing the telecommunications sectors of emerging markets is how to finance the necessary infrastructure investment to realise the goals of achieving universal service and assist the competitiveness of its economy. Extension of full government service countrywide and increased integration of emerging markets into the world economy will bring benefits of synergy, improved communications, expanded trade and revitalised growth. Technological convergence has created a new range of multimedia products and services and public computer networks, such as the Internet, are fast becoming the new forms of interaction. Today operators, service providers and users are preparing for a multimedia future. Such a future will have a significant influence on trading, industrial and economic development strategies.

Improving information access in SADC: The role of libraries		The information centres also need to be equipped with expertise and capabilities to enhance the achievement of the objectives of SADC. To achieve this, SADC sectors, commissions and governments have to allocate funds in their budgets for libraries and documentation centres. Several conferences and seminars have recommended the harmonisation of software selection and use in order to promote the sharing and exchange of information resources among SADC institutions. Information technologists say libraries and documentation centres in the region should develop exchange agreements for information materials and bibliographic data with other institutions and informal networks. The development and use of electronic communication systems presents information centres with the opportunities of channeling information in a more economical way both in terms of time and cost involved, says Maurice Makuwira, Information Officer with SADC Inland Fisheries Sector Technical Coordination Unit. Articles on SADC issues.... Information technology key theme for SADC Conference in Lusaka The SADC diary The SADC Elections diary The SADC Summit Women in Media Belgian scholarship programme to benefit SADC students
by Caiphus Chimhete There is need to rationalise, coordinate and harmonise information delivery systems among SADC institutions to promote regional integration. This could be achieved through the use of libraries and documentation centres, components that are essential for information flow. The importance of free flow and accessibility of information for development in the region has been underlined by librarians and information scientists in annual seminars held to drum up government support. The latest seminar was in Maputo, Mozambique in October last year, which strongly affirmed guidelines relating to library activities, and as such, addressing the problem of fragmentation. The seminar, attended by librarians and documentalists from all over southern Africa, recommended that regional institutions develop strategies for better development, dissemination and use of information within SADC libraries and documentation centres.	Information scientists say accurate and relevant information is a pre-requisite for informed decision-making at all levels of human activity. However, for the information to have direct impact on the society, it must be provided in time and in a form that facilitates easy user access. Dr B Grand of the Department of Library studies at the University of Botswana says that the present state of development and use of information resources within SADC institutions is far from healthy, and poor information infrastructure and low level of awareness diminish reliable access. The role of SADC libraries and documentation centres is to support the aims and objectives of the parent institutions by selecting, and acquiring relevant materials, organising them and making them available to the users. Many forums have recommended that information managers should forge links with allied professions — in mass media, publishing, information materials vendors and software experts — to enhance the provision of information to southern Africa.