Latest update January 8th, 2025 4:30 AM
Latest News
- ‘Our Stabroek Block estimate is higher than Exxon’s 11B barrels figure’ – Hess CEO
- Exxon to focus on exploring and appraising more of Stabroek Block before licence expires in 2027 – Routledge
- ‘All hell will break out’ if Gaza hostages aren’t released’—Trump warns
- Chinese company sitting on US$16B worth of gold at Guyana’s Aurora Gold Mine
- Guyana records 60% increase in workplace deaths in 2024 – Labour Minister
Telecoms liberalization war…Digicel rejects GTT’s claims of owing taxes
Digicel has expressed disappointment with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) most recent statements to the press in which it repeated “untrue allegations”.
Digicel has denied owing Government any taxes, as claimed by GTT.
According to the mobile company which is the main competitor to GTT, more specifically it is denying that it owes the Government of Guyana any taxes.
GTT on Wednesday claimed that Digicel has established an illegal link with Suriname for international calls on which no taxes were being paid. GTT estimated that almost US$30M ($6B) was lost in taxes.
“Digicel wishes to state categorically that it owes no taxes and is in good standing with the GRA,” the mobile company said in a statement yesterday.
Digicel said it began providing services in Guyana in 2007 with consumers experiencing up to 50% decrease in domestic call rates and access to new affordable handsets with no activation fees.
“Digicel began providing services in remote regions of Guyana. It must be noted that today, 27 years after GTT’s launch in Guyana, there are still areas even in Georgetown where customers are still waiting for service from GTT.”
Digicel insisted that it recognised the need for consumers in Guyana to have access to the internet on the go. In May 2007, it introduced mobile internet service via Blackberry.
“It was only in November 2011 that GTT decided to follow suit – over four and a half years later.”
Digicel pointed out that the exchange of text messages between the Digicel and GTT networks was made possible through the efforts of Digicel despite GTT’s resistance for over two years as Digicel considered it to be a basic requirement of service provision for Guyanese to be connected to one another regardless of choice of network.”
Digicel said it believes the focus here should be on customers and competition.
“Digicel calls upon GT&T to desist from making false allegations that serve to mislead and remove the focus from the imminent opening of a fully competitive telecoms sector in Guyana and to allow the Government to continue to work towards making liberalisation a reality for the benefit of the public of Guyana.”
Digicel said that if GTT believes it offers a superior level of services to consumers in Guyana, then there should be no need to fear liberalisation.
“It’s ironic that GTT is trying to portray itself as a consumer champion whilst doing everything in its power to frustrate our attempts to provide competition and choice in the market. Despite these challenges, Digicel has managed to compete effectively with GTT and prides itself on its innovation and on the standard and quality of its services and will continue to fight to provide them to the people of Guyana.”
The two companies are at it at a time when the administration has introduced new laws to open the market to new players and break the international calls and landline monopoly that GTT has.
Both Government and GTT, a US-owned company, are involved in negotiations to break the monopoly.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The Horse Racing Authority Bill will solve nothing!
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The Horse Racing Authority Bill of 2024, though ostensibly aimed at regulating horse racing... more
Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible... more
Weekend Cartoon
