Saith: Decision soon on telecom

Saith told Newsday that he is currently assessing the information provided to him by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) and a note should be going to Cabinet this week. Saith said he was hopeful that Cabinet would decide on the matter within the next two weeks.

The TATT awarded mobile phone licences to Digicel and LaqTel in June (US$16 million and US$9 million), effectively ending TSTT’s prized monopoly in the local telecommunications sector. In September, Digicel brought in telecommunications equipment worth US$1.2 billion to assist in developing its local mobile phone network. Digicel has said it views TT as one of its prime markets in the Caribbean and it hopes to create 400 permanent jobs through its operations in this country. Digicel officials last week hinted that the company could be in a position to begin offering mobile phone services to the population within the next month.

On the issue of a new board of directors for BWIA, Saith said no decision has been made on that matter. In his 2005/2006 Budget presentation in the House of Representatives last Wednesday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced that the airline would be restructured and businessman Arthur Lok Jack (who headed a special Cabinet-appointed task force to examine options for BWIA’s long-term viability) would chair the airline’s new board to guide BWIA’s transition to a new entity which Manning said would be developed into a regional carrier.