THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co. (GT&T) will today release its official 2014 Telephone Directory, along with a smaller version targeting businesses. 

First-copies of both directories were presented yesterday to President Donald Ramotar by Company Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Radha Krishna Sharma.
The CEO indicated that the new directory will be available, free of cost, to the general public. “We have the complete one with the White and Yellow Pages, and we also have a smaller version for the business houses that will carry all the Yellow Pages.”
The new directories will also be available Online, according to Mr Sharma. “In the first instance,” he said, “it will be as you have it; and there will also be a module that has a search-engine so you’ll be able to search for numbers by giving names, first name or last name.”
This new approach is being taken to ensure that customers have a good experience in accessing the directory’s information, whether its hard or soft copy, he added.
The new directories represent an investment of around $20M, according to the company’s head.
Meanwhile, the CEO, in his message in the new directory, stated that his vision for the company is that “of a knowledge-driven and highly innovative company, where the critical success factors are: Customer and shareholder value; knowledge management; business organisation; strong management and cost accounting; focused marketing; productivity; and a company that has the ability to transform itself as the market changes.”
Sharma said he believes in a strong corporate culture, protection of the GT&T brand, participative leadership, and adherence to international best practices in corporate governance.
Speaking of the company’s investment in the Guyana market, he said, “We have invested in the development, modernisation and expansion of our networks and systems.  Over the last 23 years we have invested over $58 billion (Guyana) in capital expansion program and over $51 billion paid to the National Treasury for various revenue commitments.”
Highlighting that the GT&T has grown to be one of the largest private sector employers in the country, Sharma explained that there are more than 650 direct employees and offers indirect employment to over 2,000 Guyanese that support GT&T.
Over its years of existence, the company’s landline service increased from 11,000 to 154,039 subscribers, through the deployment of a National Fiber optic cable network connecting all major population centers from Charity to Moleson Creek to Linden.  Over $6B was plugged into the Suriname/Guyana Submarine Cable System in 2010 and $1 billion on upgrading of the Americas 11 Cable in 2011.   The company has seven Earth Stations.
He observed that the government has been successful in injecting competition into the wireless telecommunication industry.
In concluding, Sharma said that GT&T is preparing for a more widely competitive market. “In providing for the next steps in the evolution of the competitive paradigm, we need to build from two over-arching principles: a level playing field for all and the establishment of factually-based and consistent requirements that are appropriate for Guyana.”

(GINA)