B.T.L. seeks new rates, asked to see P.U.C.
The telecommunications saga continues this week with word that B.T.L. has plans to appeal the Supreme Court decision, which validated the stop order issued by government in December of last year. But even more interesting, is that according to Minister of Budget Management Ralph Fonseca, B.T.L. plans to implement a new rate restructuring plan that–like the last one–has its share of ups and downs.
Ralph Fonseca, Minister of Budget Management
“I think the thinking public will realize that what we need to do here is to have a long term view and not look for a short term gain, which could damage us in the future. Starting January first, B.T.L. will be answerable to the P.U.C., the Public Utilities Commission, not the minister anymore. The minister has informed them of that very, very clearly in a letter yesterday, which he shared with me this morning. They have asked for new rates to be considered, to be put in place in the middle of December. The minister has said, you’re doing the same thing again, you’re only giving me two weeks to look at this thing, I have to get it to Cabinet. Within one month, the P.U.C. will be in charged, why don’t you wait, wait until the P.U.C. is in place. I think if you bear I mind the fact that we have won this victory, that we have to look at the long term view that January first is at hand, that B.T.L. will challenge these things in any case in court, then I think we have to be careful that we don’t put any expectations out there as it relates to any credits or any refunds, when in fact that conversation could last months if not years.”
Janelle Chanona
“So the new rates that they wanted to go through, they are along the same lines of some things will go up, some will go down? Who will deal with that?”
Ralph Fonseca
“I haven’t seen them, but from what the minister explained to me quickly this morning, it seems that way, that they’re moving right back to that balancing of the tariff structure, and also including the new Digicell rates, which as I understand it, are fairly competitive. But there is still this ambition to rebalance, which causes problems on the lower end of the scale. This is what we are trying to correct.”
“We believe that B.T.L. owed the public something for having that monopoly status for so many years. We believe that by giving this other company a chance to come into the market without additional competition, they owe the public something. And we had them pay for it with five thousand computers, with a network for schools and for libraries. So those are decisions that you have to make in government. Are we satisfied? I won’t say that we’re satisfied, overall we’re satisfied that we’ve done the best we possibly could given the circumstances.”
According to Fonseca, B.T.L. will submit its proposed rates to the Public Utilities Commission by January first and by the end of that month government will have to make its decision on what, if any, price changes will be approved.
