Cable licence will monopolise national communication system – GHRA

…says suspend support for any budgetary allocation for communication

By Abena Rockcliffe
The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) yesterday made clear its position on the “discriminatory” issuance of several Radio licenses, dubbing the issue an intolerable one that requires firm action to be taken.

GHRA President, Mike Mc Cormack

President of the GHRA, Mike Mc Cormack yesterday pointed out that, since the year started, there have been several extreme problems that the Guyanese public has been dealing with. All those issues- each with its own significance- have been sidelined when a bigger one arises and were therefore never dealt with.
Mc Cormack recalled that in February, the “big issue” was the Chinese television station. This, he said, was sidelined by the “very unfair and discriminatory fashion in which the radio licences were issued.”
The GHRA president added that concerns about the issuances is almost being sidelined by those about the new cable from Brazil “which has the potential of monopolizing the entire communication system in Guyana for whomever friends and families get control of it.”
Mc Cormack stated that the GHRA finds the unfair distribution more than disturbing, the association views it intolerable.
He said that the GHRA finds that there is a need to get back to basics and call on the National Assembly to suspend support for any budgetary allocation for communication.
That would include monies allocated for the National Communication Network (NCN); which the joint parliamentary opposition that holds the majority in parliament has already signaled intention not to support, unless certain requirements are met.
Mc Cormack said, too, that until the Broadcast Authority is restructured in alignment with principles of fairness, professionalism and competence and until the authority is independent from political influence, “we (GHRA) feel that it will be scandal after scandal.”
Similarly, last week at a press conference, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)  reiterated its disapproval towards the manner in which the radio licences were issued in 2011 by the then president and Minister of Information Bharrat Jagdeo.
The party’s shadow Minister of Finance Carl Greenidge said that he recognizes the issuances as not only a means for the government to get its friends richer, but as a means for it to strengthen its strength of spreading propaganda.
The former Minister said, “And another thing is that when they sell out the spectrum to their friends, families and cronies for a song, taxpayers will have to pay more. So one must know that one cannot condone this act but complain about tax, it is contradictory.”
APNU’s shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, reminded that the broadcasting legislation governs everything on the spectrum, “which means that every man Jack has to reapply.
“So Shadick with whatever she is talking about is not relevant, since having these persons reapply is not discursion but the law.”
APNU executive member, Lance Carberry, added that the spectrum belongs to the nation and should be used for the development of the nation.

Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams

The very month he left office, Jagdeo gave five radio frequencies each to his best friend Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop; The Mirror newspaper, which is owned by the ruling PPP; and Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting, which is linked to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.
Jagdeo’s successor, President Donald Ramotar, attempted to justify his actions when he told media operatives that early in Jagdeo’s second term of office, which began in 2006, he promised to end the state control of radio and liberalize the sector.
“So I suspect he was fulfilling a commitment that was made very early in his second term. From that point of view I don’t see anything irregular with it.”