PM Briceño: Telecom Policy Moving Ahead, Merger or Not

On Tuesday, Belize Telemedia Limited took its pitch straight to Cabinet in Belmopan, laying out its case for the proposed merger between BTL and Smart. We were right outside that meeting, bringing you reactions from BTL Chairman Mark Lizarraga and Public Utilities Minister Michel Chebat. Today, we caught up with Prime Minister John Briceño in Belize City and pressed him on Cabinet’s choice to hold off on taking any position until national consultations wrap up. The PM also shed light on what’s coming for the telecom sector, saying that a key policy change, including a much‑discussed S.I., is moving forward whether or not the merger ever gets the green light.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“As you know when we speak in Cabinet it is confidential and we can disclose everything. What I can tell you is that it was a two hour and a half presentation. Ministers asked many questions and all of the questions were answered to their satisfaction. Now we believe we need to allow BTL to continue whatever other presentations they need before we make public our position.”

 

Reporter

“Chairman Lizarraga says policy makers will have to determine the way forward. Can you explain what that means. Is it that after consultations the executive will decide if this consolidation should occur.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I think what they mean by policy is what we do through the PUC. The minister pointed out to Cabinet that they are already working in signing and SI. An Si which I believe we will do anyway, with or without a consolidation. I think it is time to look at the telecommunication sector to see what regulations we can put to better manage that sector. The telecommunication sector is moving away from telco to a tech company. It is moving away from being telecoms to providing technical services. They make the case that their talk time revenues have gone down considerably about seventy to eight percent and as a company they have to reinvent themselves. Remember when Dell computers started with Dell computers they removed the computers because now it is Dell because they do a lot of things and produce more than just computers, likewise with the telecommunication companies. What he was referring to on that is that we as governments through the PUC now has to be able to set up the policies and what kind of regulations we have to put in place.”