…transformation of Guyana’s economy spurring private sector development
– Gov’t will continue working towards fully liberalised telecommunications
MINISTER of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said yesterday that the process of building a modern economy is well underway in Guyana and posited that this transformation is spurring Private Sector development.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Ltd. (GT&T) Major General (ret’d) Joe Singh, hands over the ceremonial first copy of the 2009/10 telephone directory to Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh yesterday in the presence of other officials. (GINA photo)

He made the observation at the launch of the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T) 2009/2010 directory in the canteen at Lot 79 Brickdam, Georgetown.

To support his assertion, Singh cited the significant physical infrastructure developments taking place across the country, such as road and bridge projects, including the Berbice and Takutu River bridges.

He also mentioned improved social services, especially in education and health and the great strides made in the non-traditional (new and emerging sectors) of the economy, in services.

Minister Singh said those developments have come through tangible, demonstrable investments by Government and its commitment to maintain a strong, stable macro-economic environment.

He said the maintenance of a sound macro-economic framework is much desired by the Private Sector, as it reduces the amount of economic uncertainty that is faced when making business decisions.

Singh said this framework is one of the principal reasons for the rapid growth in the Private Sector over the years and he reiterated that Government remains committed to the modernisation and transformation of the country.

He urged his audience to avoid taking all the developments for granted as they entailed significant work and a deliberate and concerted effort, by a number of parties, to make the progress.

The new 2009/10 telephone directory.

Singh indicated that Government will continue to invest in developing the national physical infrastructure and provide the legislative and macro-economic framework to spur Private Sector development, as this has always been a deliberate policy that was not achieved in the past through luck.

REFLECTIVE
He said growth in the telecommunications industry is reflective of the effort of Government to transform the economy, pointing to the increase in landline subscribers from 13,000 in 1991 to around 150,000 presently.

However, Singh said he remains unsatisfied, noting that universal access to the service is imperative.

“We will continue working towards a fully liberalised and competitive telecommunications sector,” Singh pledged, acknowledging that it will make Guyana’s economy stronger and more resilient.

The phone book features the arrival of the Suriname–Guyana submarine cable system which has the potential to transform the Guyana economy and the lives of Guyanese and it will be available for public distribution from Monday, January 25.

GT&T will also be unveiling the official website of Guyana Yellow Pages: www.yellowpages.com.gy where the most up-to-date, complete and accurate business listings can be found.

GT&T Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Major General (ret’d) Joe Singh said, at the function, that it is their legal obligation to produce the compendium, which is used to communicate to others, annually.

He said it boasts emergency numbers, topical listings and valuable information and described it as a substantial document.

Alluding to all the planning involved in the production, Singh said, every year, GT&T is getting closer in producing the perfect directory and pointed out that, this year, there are thousands of new listings.

He said the compilation is user friendly and regarded as the resource reference book of Guyana, because the producers have been working closely with the Tourism Sector and the launching coincides with GT&T’s 19th anniversary and the landing of the Guyana-Suriname cable.

BANDWIDTH
The new 2009/2010 directory, a more compact document, recognises that the Suriname-Guyana Submarine Cable System (SG-SCS) is expected to significantly resolve this country’s bandwidth issues and Singh said the conduit will become operational in June.

Deputy General Manager, Public Relations, Mr. Terry Holder told the audience that, every year, the directory, like GT&T, k
eeps getting better all the time and they are proud of this year’s publication.

GuyEnterprise Project Director, Ms. Lisa Insanally disclosed that this sleeker and slimmer issue took six months to produce.

She said, this year, the company has also seen an increase in business subscribers in the yellow pages, which remain the most cost effective way of advertising businesses.

Director of Customer Services, Ms. Pam Briggs said, to receive a copy, customers are asked to produce their November 2009 paid bills at any GT&T business office countrywide.

She said GT&T produced 110,000 directories, catering for at least 15,000 landline subscribers, both residential and commercial. (Michel Outridge)