After more than six hours of debate that ended late last night, the long-awaited telecommunications reform legislation was passed in the National Assembly and although opposition speakers expressed support for it, they also tried without success to have it sent to a special select committee to correct what they said was its deficiencies.
The Telecommunication (Amendment) Bill 2016, according to Minister Cathy Hughes, is not only a step towards bringing Guyana on par with sister Caricom countries but it would also liberalise the sector, allowing for new entrants and creating an environment which is fair and competitive.
A total of nine MPs from both sides of the House agreed that the bill was a step in the right direction. The opposition MPs reminded the House that it was while the PPP/C was in government that the legislation was crafted and that it had their support as they wanted to see an end to the existing monopoly. Some took the House down memory lane, while others said that some sections of the bill still raised concerns and, therefore, needed to be re-examined.
