Govt must absorb TTEC rate increase

The Government must be reminded that TTEC, TSTT, WASA and CCTT are all full-fledged monopolies, which were created by them. This effectively means that there is no competition whatsoever, and consumers are at the mercy of these monopolies, with absolutely no redress. One would have thought that the RIC was established to protect us, the consumers. So it is back to the old khaki pants, holding the population to ransom.

A clear-cut case was NFM, which, when Nutrimix came on the scene, all their prices dropped, there was a cut in their Cinderella staff, as competition emerged. TTEC is not a business enterprise, it is a service rendered to the people, by the Government, and a Government service is either free or non-profit.

TTEC operates in a vacuum, as nobody knows its modus operandi. What the public needs to know is the salary scale under which TTEC operates, then one would understand the reasons for the hike in rates. These workers are amongst the highest paid in the West Indies. Up to Nov 05 inflation stood at 23 percent, and rising.

The Government must be mandated to absorb this unnecessary rise in rates. As it is at present, billions are being frittered away on useless projects, and no concern is given to such a vital product as electricity. Why should we have to pay for poor negotiations by Government with other companies? Why not remove VAT from public utilities? Why not trim the fat to an acceptable level, and allow the nation to live a life?

DOODNATH MAHARAJ

Arima