The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Thanks again for allowing me this space in your most valuable paper; now we all know that the Christie Administration is said to have taken back BTC, and, which, of course, could come to be a feather in their hats; but are we sure?

Also “Watch D” is saying – Really? For there is not much observed in improvement of the poor and the hundreds who lost their jobs, so to speak, and were no longer able to support their families, through selling phone cards, which brought in a satisfactory amount of monies and income individually, or for the household.

All that was required for a vendor to have is a non-fee-renewable three or four months permit, a small booth, which were sometimes provided at no cost by a wholesaler business, either that or the health to stand or sit at the roadside and hawk their wares.

Whenever a $5.00 phone card was sold, one could receive a profit upwards to $1.50, a $10.00 card sale would give the reseller a $3.00 profit, and so in that same progress were sales of $20.00 and $50.00 cards. Phone cards at that time were truly business; cards sold swiftly each day and into the nights; these days phone card sales are very slow after the sale of BTC by the FNM Government, and now following the take back of BTC by the PLP Administration.

One must first have a thriving business before considering selling cards. As for the small vendors, he or she makes a mere .30 cents from $5.00 card, and so upwards in that same order if a $10.00 or $20.00 card is sold and from a batch of five $5.00 phone cards a vendor may take upwards to two weeks or more to sell out.

Again, beginning after the sale of BTC by the Ingraham Government, and the deep dive of sales in phone cards, then upwards to the take back of BTC by the Christie Government, vendors had been levied with a $200.00 annual renewable business license. However, and giving play to introduction of the new technology - “Top-Ups”– free minutes and weekends extended talking time, that has been implemented by the company through its upgrading etc., following and before the take back, and which continues to the present.

One can easily see that there is no help for the poor, the vendors, or the rectifying of the system back to when people made a living by merely selling cards, and this again before BTC’s sale and now at this take back; so whatever and as soon as possible we hope that card resellers be allowed to take back their profits, their jobs of gainful employment and of surviving in these hard economical times. Also to the take back of that casual permit renewal every four months.

“Watch D” would also encourage a swift response, clarification or even a promise on the phone cards resellers’ matter. Again, we congratulate Mr Leon Williams on his take back – his reinstatement as CEO of BTC. So, to you, sir, we say, let’s take it all the way back, for all the vendors and all those left without a business and means to make a living.

WATCH D,

Nassau,

September 30, 2014.