Ragbir: Call Centres not illegal

THE Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) must state the clause under which the International Call Centres are breaking the law as well as the regulations which provide for the licensing of such centres. That is the view of former Director of Telecommunications, Winston Ragbir, who also believes that amendments to the Telecom Bill will create more problems and still not cater for the ICCs. Speaking to Newsday yesterday about the current decision by the RIC demanding that the ICCs be licensed or close their doors, Ragbir said as far as he was aware there exists no law to make the ICCs illegal. He said as far as he knew the ICCs were providing an information service, and not a telecommunication service.

Ragbir said the ICCs were paying their fees — that is paying the local Internet Service Providers (ISP) who in turn pay TSTT. Ragbir pointed out that since the issue arose, the RIC had not indicated under which clause in the RIC Act the ICCs fell under or what clause they were violating. He said nor was it stated what regulations exist for the ICCs to be licensed. He noted that the current Telecommunications Division was operating under the Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance of 1936 and did not have any jurisdiction over land lines.

A source at the Ministry of Public Administration and Communication told Newsday because of such antiquated laws, not even the Telecommunications Division in the Ministry could intervene in the ICC matter because the Ordinance gave them jurisdiction over radio, tv and cellular services only. The source said the RIC had jurisdiction over the land lines and felt certain when the amendments to the Telecommunications Bill are passed, they would cater for the issuing of licences to the ICC.