I SEE that the PUC and GTT are at odds concerning rates rejected by the regulatory body. Mr. Sharma of GTT, the telephone utility company, claims his company is losing about $740,000,000 and will need the increase to get their 15 per cent profit return on the landline service.I seem to understand that they are not losing money and are not in the red, but not getting enough to get their 15 per cent. I also understand that only the landline telephone service is regulated by the PUC; but GTT is involved in many other telecommunications activities for which they are not supervised, and do not have to declare anything. They have sold out some services to companies which they created overseas, and then buy back the services which they are selling to consumers here. They are making millions which are sent overseas to the owners and shareholders, and Guyanese are getting the shaft.
I may be wrong, but it appears that GTT does not intend to provide landline service to thousands of citizens who have applied for same, and who need the services. If they do provide the service, they will get the millions they said they are entitled to, but they do not want to do that. They want the existing consumers to pay up for their failure to provide the service to the thousands who cannot get it.
AYUBE KHAN