The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A GOVERNMENT appointed task force overseeing the liberalisation of the cellular phone market has completed its assessments into the process and will report to the nation on the matter within days.

Prime Minister Perry Christie made that announcement when speaking to reporters at the British Colonial Hilton yesterday.

He appointed the task force, headed by former Financial Secretary Ruth Millar, earlier this year to spearhead the process of issuing a second cellular provider license.

“With respect to the task force appointed to consider the process of the second cellular license that we describe as liberalisation, I’m able to say that the task force has virtually completed its examination of the process that should take place and they are about ready to address the Bahamian public and the interested participants vying for the second license,” he said. “They have settled the requests for proposals (RFP) and extensive work has been completed and they are ready to now meet the Bahamian public to indicate the path that they will take towards the carrying out of the full exercise in inviting applicants, assessing applicants, having an auction for those applicants and producing a result on timeline for the people of this country.”

Mr Christie said the task force will address the public “in a matter of days.”

“Probably early next week they will be in a position, if not this week, to meet with persons such as (the media) to indicate to them exactly where we are, what they have done and the path that will be taken in the ensuing period, but ultimately to produce the correct result for the people of this country.”

Cable and Wireless Communications’ (CWC) three-year cellular monopoly expired on April 6, 2014.

However, earlier this year, Mr Christie said the legislative framework surrounding the Ingraham administration’s sale of BTC to CWC would delay mobile competition until 2015.

Mr Christie has since said that his government is exploring the possibility of issuing a third telecommunications license in 2016.

He has said his government wants the winning bidder for the second cellular license to offer shares to the Bahamian public.

And although his administration cancelled plans by the Ingraham administration to sell a nine per cent BTC stake by an initial public offering (IPO), he has said his government will revisit the issue when the second license is issued.