Digital Engagement in South Sudan - IAD Presentation

1. Digital Engagement
(content)
An Approach in a New Country
IAD 12th Annual Summit, The Kairaba Beach Hotel; – Banjul
The Republic of the Gambia
Date 25th – 27th March 2014
by
Eng. Baranya T. Chaplin
Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services
The Republic of South Sudan

2. Statement by H.E. President, Silva Kiir Mayardit:
“Recognizing the importance of communications &
ICTs in wealth generation, job creation, poverty
alleviation, and citizen’s access to government
services, and the fact that the bulk majority of our
populace live in rural areas, it is incumbent upon us
to evolve strategies to expand communications
services to the rural areas. The obvious key
challenges include suitable infrastructure and
services for all forms of communications, including
telecommunications”.

3.  Policy and Regulatory Legal frameworks in place
 Communication Sector Policy, 2013 – 2018
espouses a liberalized market
 4 Licensed GSM, 1 CDMA Operators &11 ISPs
 International Media Gateway completed (by Gov.)
 Plans to lay Fiber Optic Cable from Juba to
Mombasa tabled
 Plans for E-Government network on process
 Currently Government Has Core VSAT Backbone
An overview

4.  Vision:
An inclusive, empowered, dynamic and
prosperous ICT-anchored nation that is an
active participant in the Global Information
Society
 Mission:
To facilitate access to reliable and affordable
communications devices, services and
benefits in the country by creating an
enabling policy and regulatory environment
Vision & Mission

5. To promote the development and application of ICT,
through the implementation of facilitative and
harmonised policies, with a view to achieving the
widest use and access to information throughout
South Sudan within 5 years.
Our strategic goals are to:
• Facilitate economic growth, sustainable
development & wealth creation
• Improve quality of life of citizens through better
education, improved health services & job
creation
• Create an engine for socio-economic
development
Strategic Gold

6. Strategic Objectives
The Government recognizes the role that the
Communication Sector plays in the economy in
terms of employment & investment opportunities
especially for those engaged in SMEs and will
incorporate ICT in the overall development policy
framework and prioritize ICT as a key driver in terms
of resource allocation.
Our strategic objectives are to:
• Establish a national communication sector strategy &
plan.
• Deepen sensitization and capacity building of policy
makers and planners on the critical role of
communication in development.

7. Communication Sector Policy Framework
2013 a review of the Telecommunications and Postal
Services Sector Policy Framework and Work Plan
2008 was necessitated by the need to:
• Align the policy to the national goals, priorities and
objectives;
• Provide a policy and regulatory framework to
guide the development of the Communications
Sector.

8. Regulatory Framework:
National Com. Act, 2012 specifies the
establishment of an independent regulator to be
known as the National Communication Authority
which shall have corporate personality, a
corporate seal and the right to sue and be sued
.

9. Policy Implementation Approach
Institutional Arrangements: Stakeholders &
Actors:-
 Government
 Private Sector
 Civil Society & General Public
 Academia & Research Institutions
 Development Partners

10. Proposed Institutions:- Transitional Arrangement
The policy has provided organizational structure
comprising the Ministry’s mainstream technical
directorates and the proposed independent
institutions necessary for the effective delivery of
communication services.
During transition, the directorates will continue to
backstop/perform functions that are to be undertaken
by the proposed institutions until legal framework
setting up such institutions is in place.

11. Institutions – Role of Government:-
 Develop & oversee policies and strategies to
manage & stimulate growth of Communication
Sector
 Develop, coordinate and oversee implementation
of the Policy
 Develop and implement e-Government ICT
strategy
 Oversee capacity building programmes for Gov.

12. Specific Role of Govt Institutions:-
ICT Agency
• Coordination of policy implementation in conjunction with
the Ministry, government institutions, etc.
• Liaison with the Government Gateway, the National Network
Operations Centre (NOC).
• Managing the National Data/Information Centre (NDC/NIC)
• Housing the E-Government Secretariat.
• Housing the Cyber Emergency Response Team
(CERT)/Cyber-security centre/ICT Emergency response]

13. Institutions – Other Main Actors:-
• Role of the Private Sector:
• Main investor and developer of the info-economy system
• Participate in provision of universal service/access
• Develop the sector with efficiency, credibility, commercial
integrity and good corporate governance
• Provide quality and sustainable service with choices to
consumers

14. Institutions – Other Main Actors:-
 Role of the Civil Society:
• Inform the policy making process through relevant
contributions in regard to ICT access, poverty
reduction, e-Governance, citizen participation …
• Assist Govt to understand the needs of society
better & help integrate public voices in the policy
process
 Role of Development Partners:
 Technical & financial support and assistance (e.g.
in development of incubators, capacity
building, business networking, etc)

15. The Government Private Partners in the provision of
Infrastructure and Service
Apart from the Licensed Telecom Operators, there are also a
Host of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), VSAT
Operators, Courier Companies and TV & Radio Broadcasting
Providers,

16. Core ICT Tools
1. Broadcasting Media
a) radio
b) TV
c) Cell phones
2. Mobile phones
a) voice, video
b) text/SMS messages (data )
3. Computers
a) Internet
b) Internet portals

17. The Cell Phone Revolution Era
(Convergence of the Core ICT Tools)

18. Conclusion
 Alan Cohen, a famous innovative
entrepreneur in the US once stated:
“There are two kinds of people in the world:
those who make excuses and those who get
results. An excuse person will find any excuse
for why a job was not done, and a results
person will find any reason why it can be
done.”
 LET US BE RESULT ORIENTED AND
COLLECTIVELY DEVELOP OUR PEOPLE.

19. TM
The Republic of South Sudan
• 193rd Member Country of the UN
• 54th Member Country of the AU
• 193rd Member Country of the ITU
• Member of CTO, PAPU and others to come
Coming from Far and is Going Far
Journey to
Independence
9th July 2011

20. Thanks
Marci
Shoran
Tel: +211 928 181 214
E-mail: baranya.jibi@gmail.com
Website: Website: www.motps.org.