THE EDITOR, Madam:
I thought the Office of Utility Regulation was in place to protect the Jamaican consumer but to my horror, it seemed to be doing the opposite. In a free enterprise system the marketplace is supposed to set prices, so why is there a minimum retail rate that can be charged by the new cell phone companies. Is it a coincidence that this minimum charge happens to be the amount currently being charged? Or is this an attempt to perpetuate that flawed agreement which guarantees Cable and Wireless an annual minimum return on its investment?
There is an inherent risk in every investment and Jamaica is the only place where a government can guarantee a company risk-free investment on the back of its population and that government survives.
There should be no regulated minimum charge (let the market decide). If the Prime Minister does not step in then Mr. Seaga now has a legitimate reason to take his supporters to march in Half Way Tree.
The cornerstone of globalisation is cheap communication and if Jamaica is to survive, its leaders have to get rid of their parochial way of thinking and stop protecting special interest groups at the expense of the people.
I am etc,
GARFIELD BROWN
E-mail:
duck.brown@sympatico.ca
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada
Via Go-Jamaica
