Drafters of the long overdue Communication Bill have decided, for now, to leave out the clause that will regulate the registration of Internet domain names. The drafters felt that the regulation of such services would better be handled under an Act different from the one they are drafting. It is expected that the registration and regulation of domain names would be addressed by a  legislation that would also address the issue of electronic transactions and electronic filing of documents.

Sackey Shanghala, the chief drafter of the Communication Bill. He is also the advisor to Hon. Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, the Minister of Justice and  Attorney General.

It was however not clear this week which legislation this would be. What was certain was that this legislation would also address the concerns expressed by auditors and tax consultants over electronic filing and transactions, as well as record keeping.
The chief drafter of the Communication Bill, Sackey Shanghala, said the drafters wanted to have an independent institution as a regulator and registrar of domain names instead of having certain industry players. Although autonomous, this institution would likely fall under a specific ministry, especially in terms of its code of conducts and fee structures.
There has been unhappy cries in the industry over the regulation and management of domain name registrations.
The Communication Bill will, however, bring some relief to consumers, especially those that are techno-savvy. The bill will pave the way for the introduction of new technological services, especially the much anticipated Voice over Internet (VoIP), and lay the foundation for competition in the communication sector.
The usage of VoIP, through sites such as Skype, is currently illegal in Namibia. The