DESPITE hopes that the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector would have been fully effected by the end of May, Public Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes, disclosed that the process continues to be delayed.

Hughes was at the time addressing reporters at an Alliance for Change (AFC) press conference held on Thursday. “Currently, we are running a bit behind time, it had been my hope that the process would have been completed by the end of July/ August. Unfortunately, we are in August and I have no confirmation that we will complete the process by the end of August,” she said.

The minister explained that the delay is as a result of negotiations between the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), its parent company Atlantic Tele Network (ATN) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). “…that is only because part of the negotiations requires GTT and the GRA to be working out tax issues, which impacts on the negotiations,” said Minister Hughes, who made it clear that the GRA is a solely independent agency to which she has no control, impact or jurisdiction.

“So I am certainly waiting patiently for them to finish that part of the negotiations,” she said optimistically. Last week a meeting was held with the parties and according to the Public Telecommunications minister, discussions were reported as fruitful.

“They are very confident that we are moving ahead and I think we are seeing already indications of GTT’s commitment to the Guyanese market. They are bringing fiber.”

Minister Hughes added that it is until the completion of that process that her ministry would be able to “push the process”.

Nevertheless, her Ministry is currently designing and putting together job descriptions for the new telecommunications agency, which would become the new regulatory agency under which licences would be granted. Under the new telecommunications legislation, the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) will be submerged with the new agency.

The Telecommunications Bill was first introduced in 2011.However, it was revised in 2013 before being sent to Parliamentary Special Select Committee in the 10th Parliament, and was near conclusion when that Parliament was prorogued in 2014 by the then President, Donald Ramotar.

When it was taken before the National Assembly by the APNU+AFC Government, the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had called for the bill to be sent to a Special Select Committee for further consideration, but Minister Hughes had argued that the bill had been long promised and was overdue. The sector, she emphasised, must be an opened one, so that the country can progress and not lag behind its sister Caricom countries and the rest of the world.

The legislation provides for the fostering of an opened, competitive telecoms sector in which investors will be attracted, and in which a fair, competitive environment for sector participants is created.

Meanwhile, Hughes said her ministry has been moving ahead with the creation of ICT hubs across the country. Thus far 34 hubs have been created and she described the project as a success story. The Ministry is currently providing free internet access to 101 schools and educational institutions across the country and will continue to expand to other facilities.