HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon has reiterated that government is committed to a more open and competitive telecommunication sector.

He made this point at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, referring to questions about the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) not extending its exclusive licence beyond its first term which ends in 2010.

Government had signalled its commitment and intention to begin negotiations on ending the firm’s monopoly in the local telecommunication sector.

The company’s main rival, Digicel, has been clamouring for an end to the GT&T monopoly ever since its arrival on Guyana’s market.

“I would say at this time and this of course is not intended to be a definitive statement or any comprehensive disclosure; the path forward as we see it is to conclude an engagement with telecommunication service providers to put in a place a more competitive service in Guyana,” he stated.

“The monopoly essentially has removed IT from making the kind of contributions to the Guyana economy that it has made in other economies where de-monopolisation has taken place and a more competitive environment exists,” he observed.

To this end, the HPS stated, “So for us, the ‘break-even’ point is a more competitive telecommunication sector that translates into removal of the monopoly.”

He said government is working with stakeholders in putting a road map in place. He said, “A new telecommunication Act, and new licenser arrangements are to be put in place so that we can indeed anticipate benefits flowing from a more competitive environment.”

Dr Luncheon reassured that GT&T, Digicel and ISPs (Internet Service Providers) would all be part and parcel of the consultations that is anticipated to take place before the end of this year.