Contact:
Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 – Saint Lucia has been elected to Chair the
Council of Ministers of ECTEL, the OECS Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.
Minister for Communications Works, Transport and Public Utilities Honourable
Felix Finisterre was elected at the 14th Council of Ministers Meeting of The
Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ECTEL), which was
held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines earlier this month.
Addressing his colleague Ministers and telecommunications experts of the
grouping, Mr. Finisterre outlined a number of major achievements made in the
region. Among the new regulations are measures regarding regional and national
numbering plans, new regulations for interconnection and numbering fees,
revision of new licensing evaluation criteria, approval of a new template for
the issuance of international simple voice resale licenses and consideration of
the fourth draft legislation on the licensing of broadcast stations.
The Council also approved the Work Plan and Budget for the operations of ECTEL
for 2006-2007. Mr. Finisterre reported a favourable balance sheet in the
operations of the organisation, expressing his pleasure about a doubling of the
Authority’s surplus at the end of the financial year.
“This is a good signal of our achievement -- seeing a government body fully
self-reliant and capable of realizing a surplus. That is not usual in these
spheres,” the minister said.
The Council meeting also addressed ECTEL's reporting obligations to the World
Bank.
Mr. Finisterre says ECTEL is preparing to give the Bank an update on the
Universal Service Fund as well as arrangements on what telecommunications
operators are doing, and how ECTEL is fostering an environment which would
promote greater savings and greater competitiveness among service providers.
The meeting also reviewed a report on the installation of a new regional
submarine cable and its impact on the provision of high speed broadband internet
service to ECTEL member states.
