REGIONAL • INDIC ATIVE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PL AN Ensuring better planning, policy formulation and • • Ensuring • adequate funding of from successful pilot projects. maintenance to achieve cost effective and timeous • • Enhancing rural accessibility and mobility and thereby directly contributing to poverty reduction. Liberalising market entry by separating operating and regulatory functions. Promoting regional development corridors as microcosms of regional integration and replicating lessons infrastructure delivery of services. Attracting private sector participation through public private partnerships. regulation of the transport system operations and delivery. 3 1 • Improving safety and minimising negative environ- • Ensuring that transport systems are integrated. mental impacts that arise from the provision and • Ensuring public safety and protection of the operation of regional transport systems. environment. • • Widening access to infrastructure services to meet 3.3.4.3 the strategic objective of poverty eradication. Communications Promoting regional development corridors as the tool to concentrate resources for maximum benefit. 3.3.4.3.1 Review of Current Policies and Strategies 3.3.4.2.2 Evaluation of Current Policies and Strategies Significant progress has been made in reforming the institutional and funding arrangements for the region's transport systems. In this regard the majority of Member Communications include telecommunications and postal services. It is one of the basic aims of SADC to develop communications systems that will transform the region into an information-based economy. The strategic goals are to: • operational activities through transparent policies, States now have Road Agencies or Funds, there is predictable legal frameworks and independent increasing separation of ownership and operations in regulatory regimes; seaports and the railways, concessioning of railways has gained a lot of currency while Member States continue to • Effectuate policy harmonisation in the region through the provisions of appropriate policy and legal introduce autonomous civil aviation authorities. In efforts frameworks; to improve safety, the region has adopted measures on driver training and licensing as well as road signage; in Clearly separate the regulatory functions from • Develop a regional network that will address increased teledensity and universal access to diverse maritime transport and civil aviation, international communication services. conventions and standards are being applied while hydrographic survey projects have been formulated to 3.3.4.3.2 enhance the navigability of inland waterways. There are on-going initiatives of market access for the improvement of transport services especially in the road and air transport sectors. Despite the above, significant challenges, as outlined below, remain. Evaluation of Current Policies and Strategies The majority of the Member States have policies, legal frameworks and regulatory authorities in place. A few have upgraded these to the realm of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in order to cater for an e-commerce environment. The application of info-comm- 3.3.4.2.3 unication technology (IT) is yet to be increased. This will Challenges in Current Transport Policies and Strategies require a strong policy unit and the operational regulatory The main challenges to achieving the transport independence to attract more private sector participation. objectives of SADC are: • • Building the administrative and technical capacity 3.3.4.3 of Member States to implement reforms. Challenges in Current Policies and Strategies Ensuring sustainable funding for the provision, • rehabilitation and maintenance of infrastructure. Development of institutional capacity at policy level to drive the transformation process.