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ECTEL COUNCIL OF MINISTERS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR HAITI
Council Minister, Dr. Jerrol Thompson (right)
 Castries,
10 May 2010 - The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority
(ECTEL) will join several other regional and international
organisations in providing tangible support to the people of Haiti, and
in the long-term rebuilding of the country’s institutions.
At its twenty- first meeting in Grenada on May 5th 2010, the ECTEL
Council of Ministers approved a package of support for Haiti, which
will consist of an immediate financial contribution to a needy
community or institution, and a ten-year commitment to the development
of the telecommunications sector.
The long-term support will be targetted at assisting in the strengthening and modernisation of the telecommunications regulatory
authority in Haiti, CONATEL. This will include the sharing of
information and expertise, as well as the exchange of personnel and
training. Unlike ECTEL, CONATEL operates under legislation which
predate the advent of liberalisation, and is under the direct
supervision of the Minister for Telecommunications.
At the recent Council meeting, the Members of Council were informed of
the steps taken by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to
re-establish basic telecommunications services in Haiti, and the
partnership with global service providers to upgrade the
country’s telecommunications infrastructure.
The Honourable Dr. Jerrol Thompson, ECTEL Member of Council for St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, who is also a medical doctor, provided
services to the Haitian people immediately following the earthquake,
during a visit as part of a team from the Caribbean Emergency Disaster
Management Agency. Dr. Thompson described the situation in Haiti
as life-changing, and urged Caribbean people and institutions to join
in the rebuilding of the country.
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