Issued by: National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre
7 May 1998
State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) provide a variety of strategic infrastructure and other services to people in South and in Southern Africa. Year 2000 readiness by these organisations is crucial for the smooth flow of operations after 1 January 2000. Provision of electricity, transport and water are some of the basic services needed to keep the country up and running. Interruptions of such services have widespread implications for society and a negative impact on the economy of a country.
That is why the National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre has established a special Sector Committee aimed at monitoring the Year 2000 readiness of State Owned Enterprises and coordinating any initiatives within that sector. Fuad Udemans, Executive: Strategic Services, convened the inaugural meeting of the State-Owned Enterprises Committee on 29 April 1998. During the meeting it was decided that the committee will be addressing vital infrastructural delivery issues as a priority. Furthermore, it was agreed to use the centre as a repository of information regarding the Y2K phenomenon.
Some of the preliminary key areas for in-depth analysis identified during this first meeting of the SOE Committee include:
- Power distribution from local authority level to consumers (households & business) - Smooth pension disbursements - Harbour navigation - Water supply
These issues will be studied and analysed with the objective of preparing a "pre-emptive" plan of action, in the event of potential risks being identified. Potential bottleneck areas will be identified using advanced modeling and operation research techniques.
Another key area of co-operation envisaged by the Committee is the sharing of initiatives regarding awareness and communication issues. Such activities would be aimed at targetting pockets of Y2K "ignorance" throughout the various sectors of the economy. A joint initiative will curb expenses, so that savings effected may be re-directed into other areas of an individual company's Y2K programme.
Members of the committee represent various organisations, including SAA, Telkom, Eskom, Denel, Abakor, Transnet, Armscor, Safcol, Sapo. Any organisation that has been inadvertently omitted from the SOE Committee is requested to contact Fuad Udemans of the National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre at Cel. 082-889 0067 as a matter of urgency.
Issued by: Reinhild Niebuhr
Communication Executive
National Year 2000 Decision Support Centre
Tel. 082-852 0970
Fax. 012-427 8242