across the bar

ICASA Amendment Bill 2005

by default - Posted 24 May 2005

The ICASA Amendment Bill, 2005 was under consideration by Cabinet as at Wednesday 25 May 2005. The Bill is a crucial companion to the Convergence Bill, currently the focus of portfolio committee hearings in Parliament, as it will set out the manner in which the Regulator will function and be funded. A crucial feature of the Bill is that it serves to reinforce ICASA's independence by providing that it be funded out of a percentage of licensing revenue - a figure of 10% has been mentioned. Licensing revenue is estimated at approximately R1 billion per annum. ICASA is currently funded by Parliament.

The ICASA Amendment Bill also contains the answer to questions posed by references in the Convergence Bill to new bodies such as the ICASA Investigative Unit - which will deal with consumer protection - and the Complaints and Compliance Committee which will be empowered to resolve disputes arising from interconnection and facilities leasing agreements.