Section 11, The Telecommunications Act, 2006

For the purposes of section 9, the Minister shall have theresponsibility– (a) to build and sustain an enabling environment for the operations of the telecommunications industry to be owned largely by the private sector; (b) to ensure that the policy-making, regulatory and enforcement structures have the capacity to perform their respective functions comprehensively and fairly; and (c) to formulate and review policy and its implementation accordingly. (d) promote universal access to basic telecommunications services. (e) promote research into the development of technologies, the use of new techniques by providers of telecommunications services and to develop adequate human resources in collaboration with such other agencies of Government as the Commission considers appropriate; (f) appoint a spectrum Committee which shall consist of - 8 9 Independence Ministerial support. No. 9 Telecommunications Act 2006No. 9 Telecommunications Act 2006 11 (i) a member of the Commission who shall be chairman; and (ii) such number of persons from relevant Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and shall be responsible for– (iii) setting strategic directions for spectrum policy nationally and internationally; (iv) overseeing the civil and defence spectrum and ensure the optimal use of the radio spectrum; (v) reviewing the national frequency allocation table; (vi) making appropriat recommendations to the Commission or the Minister of defence, as the case may be, on the issue of the defence spectrum respectively; (vii) deciding on the position Sierra Leone takes in international spectrum related conferences.