New gTLD ASP: Financial Assistance for DgEc - (v1)

[Imran Ahmed Shah <ias_pk@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear ICANN Staff and JAS WG.
 
With reference to call for public comments on the JAS recommended new gTLD 
Applicant Support Program for Financial Assistance designed for Developing 
Economies, please find here under a review: 

1. We strongly oppose the JAS WG recommendation (to ICANN Board) that 
"if the candidate do not meet the minimum threshold criteria, he/she will be 
disqualified from the new gTLD process altogether and will lose $47K fee as 
well. They will not be able apply for refund".  

It is requested to allow them for refund as other candidate of no award are 
allowed. ICANN should not retain their funds.

This policy will reduce (the option of) public & community participation from 
the developing economies (automatically) and especially for those who would 
need support for IDN framework development to incorporate local languages on 
the Internet Domain System.
 
2. It is again recommended to provide actual reduction in the costs of the 
evaluation fee for Internet User Communities of Developing Economies (IC DgEc) 
LLC/LDC/DC. 
 
As stated in the current support model, "Reduced Fee of US$47,000.", this is 
not the fee reduction actually. It is compensation because ICANN is charging 
the full fee, the remaining fee will be paid from the funds generation 
(existing $2M). So, the correction of statement is requested first and secondly 
the actual fee reduction. 


Regards 

Imran Ahmad Shah Executive Member &  Founder Urdu Internet Society (UISoc). 
Internet Governance Forum of Pakistan (IGFPAK).  Member Civil Society Internet 
Governance Caucus (CS IGC). 

+92 300 4130617