OUR to set mobile call rates

Damion Mitchell, News Editor

The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre



Former Prime Minister, Andrew Holness has revealed that as part of his decision to change the condition of the Digicel/Claro merger, there was an agreement with the phone company to allow the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to set call rates.



There has been renewed concern about the Digicel/Claro merger since the OUR reported yesterday that the previous administration had removed the condition that the Digicel and Claro networks be operated separately.



However that decision was not made public.



Today former Prime Minister Andrew Holness called his first press conference since the JLP’s 21-42 seat electoral defeat to People’s National Party.



One of the main issues was the Digicel/Claro merger.



Holness was strident that a key condition for changing the terms of the merger was to secure better benefits for the consumer.



According to Holness, he made the decision to change the condition of the Digicel/Claro merger after consultation with the People’s National Party which was in opposition at the time.



Holness says given that the People’s National Party agreed with his decision, it must now move to ensure that the decision is effected:



Holness also said there was a strategy in his decision not to make public the developments regarding the Digicel/Claro merger.



He says at the time when the decision was made, the Parliament was already prorogued in anticipation of the general election.



The matter was on his list of priorities had the JLP won the election.



Last night the Information and Communication Technology minister Phillip Paulwell told our news centre that it was not practical for Digicel and Claro to operate as two separate networks as was originally proposed.



damion.mitchell@gleanerjm.com