PHILIPSBURG--Party for Progress (PFP) Member of Parliament (MP) Ludmila de Weever has warned that giving the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) St Maarten responsibility for regulating NV GEBE would be like “building castles on clouds” because she believes the bureau is not currently handling its existing responsibilities adequately.
Speaking on the Breakfast Lounge with Lady Grace programme on 102.7 FM on Friday, De Weever questioned how BTP could effectively regulate GEBE when she says problems remain with the licences and companies already under its supervision. She pointed to the regulation of the post office and telecommunications companies and said some existing telecoms licence holders have not been paying while their licences remain active.
De Weever used an example of eight telephone-service licences, saying that if only two licence holders are operating and paying while six other licences remain active without payments, this could make it more difficult to attract a new operator. She said a potential operator could question why it would enter a market where other active licence holders are not paying their fees. De Weever argued that BTP should first clean up its books and gain control over its existing responsibilities involving telecommunications and the post office.
She said she does not believe the bureau is currently capable of taking on an additional responsibility while it has not resolved the issues surrounding the licences already under its oversight.
“Handle your stuff, get a control over the post office and telecom.” De Weever said BTP should first demonstrate that it can properly manage its existing responsibilities before government adds the regulation of GEBE to its workload.
She acknowledged that her position may sound harsh but said it comes from a business perspective. De Weever also argued that it would be unfair for government to give BTP an additional responsibility if the bureau is unable to properly fulfil it. She concluded that BTP should first deal with its current responsibilities before taking on the regulation of GEBE, describing the proposed approach as “building castle on clouds.”
