The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday the government is not satisfied with the level of service from Cable and Wireless and are in negotiations with another telephone company to provide telephone services.

Speaking outside of Cabinet yesterday, Mr Christie said the government is concerned about the level of service Bahamian people have been receiving from BTC.

“We are still very, very concerned about the interruption in services. It is very difficult to drive around New Providence and have a conversation without being interrupted. So that is one of the things that we are looking forward to is an improvement in the service at BTC. I am hoping that given all the negatives that have been associated with the transaction itself and the fact that we have indicated our concern about Cable and Wireless when the transaction first took place, we really want to see that the country is the beneficiary of good service,” he said.

“Quite apart from the discussions going on as a minority shareholder of Cable and Wireless, we have to continue talking to them about ensuring that the Bahamian subscriber is in fact getting the benefit of good services.”

Mr Christie said the government is still forging ahead with plans to regain the majority interest in BTC but negotiations have been suspended until the New Year.

“We truly understand the sensitive nature of the negotiations and someone has been given, in fact by the predecessor government, the majority stake in a company and so we have chosen to remain quiet, to participate very constructively because we know at the end of the day we ought not to interfere with the value of the company because both sides are shareholders and both sides have a significant investment in this,” he said.

“In the meantime there are competitors like Cable Bahamas who are mounting fierce competition and then there are others now wishing to come into the Bahamas. So this is a very dynamic situation and we have to be mindful of all that is taking place. I’ll just say this, that I’ve had a number of conversations with representatives of another major entity in the region who have made a formal request to see me with request to doing business in the Bahamas and it is a matter that I have been advised by negotiating committee of and I have sought some advice from them because I have some specific ideas about how the Bahamas can also benefit from who comes in at a time when it is appropriate to do so.”

The Prime Minister confirmed to the press that the company was Digicel.

He said if BTC does not budge on the negotiations the government will review the options available to it.