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Futurex the Conference

18 and 19th May 2006

Sandton Convention Centre

Where Business and ICT-E meet

2006 is a watershed year in South African ICT. The Convergence Bill will become law; new players will enter the telecoms market thanks to the creation of a horizontal market structure and the SNO; regulatory pressure will drive down mobile operator costs; the local loop will move towards unbundling; Telkom's monopoly on international gateways will end; Government's ASGISA (Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative) and JIPSA (Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition) projects target the roadmap for 6% GDP growth.

Deputy minister of communications Mr Radhakrishna Padayachee will address the delegates at the Futurex Conference. "Government realises the need for a patriotic alliance between the privileged and the poor to ensure that the creation of appropriate conditions that would guarantee economic growth, prosperity, employment creation and the establishment of a better life for all."

JIPSA is the skills empowerment arm of the Accelerated and shared Growth Initiative for South Africa a programme launched by president Thabo Mbeki. It aims to bring together social partners to act on immediate and medium term skills needs in the economy, particularly high-level and artisan skills. The South African Government was mandated in 2004 to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. These objectives are feasible because of the steady improvement in the economy's performance and job-creating capacity.

This enormous challenge places a tremendous responsibility on us to deliver a global communications capability second to none. The expansion of the growth of telecommunications industry holds the key to significant growth, economic and social progress of the people. It would improve the citizen's access to education, health and economic opportunities.

The Department of Communications (DoC) has been at the centre, driving and facilitating this process and playing a leading role in the policy development process across all fronts: in telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and in e-commerce.

The deputy minister has an in depth knowledge of the many issues and challenges facing the ICT sector today, and will be available for questions after his talk. Do not miss this unique opportunity!

Futurex 2006: The Conference is a top rated; two-day ICT business forum brought to you by the ICT industry, for the ICT industry, in parallel with Futurex - The Exhibition. Futurex - The Conference is run on a shared basis by the EIF, CSSA, and the SA Communications Forum SACF; the IT Association ITA; and the Black IT Forum BITF, all non Government, non profit organisations. Any surplus is fed back to these associations for the good of their members and the ICT initiatives that they support.

The Conference has as its objective to inform on ICT issues; to attempt to predict the affect of changes; and to give executives direction on how to manage the changes for growth and prosperity.

To book online: www.futurex.co.za

Looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

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