CARICOM to review regional telecommunications environment– Chair

…Says entities earning billions annually without paying taxes

Recognising that the Caribbean region could benefit significantly with stronger telecommunications regulations, steak holders from within CARICOM have called for the urgent revision of the region’s telecommunications landscape.
Addressing the media at the end of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of CARICOM, the Hon Mia Amor Mottley referred to the annual billion-dollar earnings of some communications platforms and services from which the Region does not benefit economically.

“We were informed that (these entities) earn as much as $11.6 billion a year and they pay no taxes. There is no contribution in any way to the regional economy, and at the same time, the absence of revenue to the telecommunications firms means that at the very time that we need to be looking at re-investment to make our telecommunications infrastructure sturdier, it is not there,” the Chair stated.
The Prime Minister added, “We are at the stage of exploration, but Premier Burt, and Prime Minister Mitchell, will work with me to be able to put the Community in a position to be able to better level the playing field to ensure that there is fairness to the consumer, fairness to the provider and a competitive environment. We are conscious that the Caribbean, as a region of small states, has higher telecommunication costs than we would normally like to see as compared to other regions.”
The Hon Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, will lead a review of the telecommunications environment in the Region. Prime Minister Mitchell is Lead Head of Government with responsibility for Science and Technology in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.
The Prime Minister and the Hon David Burt, Premier of Bermuda, will support the Hon Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of CARICOM, to review the sector’s environment, with a view to creating a competitive environment where customers and providers are treated fairly.