Court orders B.T.L. to roll back rates
#59501
11/26/02 09:24 AM
11/26/02 09:24 AM
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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 72,111 oregon, spr
Marty
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Court orders B.T.L. to roll back rates Monday, November 25, 2002
A decision in the Supreme Court today may mean an early Christmas for the nation's telephone users. The ruling is complicated, but essentially Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh ruled that the stop order issued late last year by then Minister Responsible for Telecommunications, Ralph Fonseca, is valid, and the price increases made at that time are illegal and must be rolled back. At the time, B.T.L. won a temporary injunction against the stop order and the so-called "tariff rebalancing" was allowed to proceed. The new rates radically increased the cost of local service, while cutting prices on international, cellular and inter-district calls. Exactly what will happen next is not crystal clear. It appears that as of today the price of monthly line rental will roll back from twenty to twelve dollars per month for residential customers and fifty to twenty for businesses. The price per minute for local calls will also be cut in half to the old rate five cents per minute. As for these rates that were lowered in the rebalancing, it is not certain what will happen, as the coming reality of competition will make it difficult for B.T.L. to push rates to a level that will drive customers into the waiting arms of Intelco. And what about those eleven months of higher local charges? According to the court, consumers should receive a refund, in many cases amounting to hundreds of dollars per phone line. It is believed, however, that B.T.L. will appeal the decision and during that time the Court of Appeal could stay the execution of the judgement until the appeal is heard.
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Re: Court orders B.T.L. to roll back rates
#59502
11/26/02 09:25 AM
11/26/02 09:25 AM
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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 72,111 oregon, spr
Marty
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Attorney General's Ministry
SUPREME COURT RULES THAT STOP ORDER IS VALID
25 November, 2002 - Belmopan .. In a judgment delivered today, the Honourable Chief Justice, Dr. Abdulai Conteh, ruled that the price increases which were unilaterally imposed on the Belizean public by the Belize Telecommunications Limited (“BTL”) in December, 2001, were made without consultation and that the Stop Order issued by the Honourable Ralph Fonseca, then Minister responsible for Telecommunications, to stop BTL from implementing the price increases is valid.
.. On the 28th day of December, 2001 the Honourable Ralph Fonseca, acting under section 23 of the Telecommunications Act, made Statutory Instrument No. 11 of 2002 directing BTL to stop the implementation of the new tariffs and to revert to the position as it was immediately before December 1st, 2001 and to program prepaid call boxes already installed in the districts to accept pre-paid cards at fifteen cents per call until further notice and not to issue or serve any telephone bills to consumers for the month of December , 2001 or thereafter based on the new tariffs with effect from December 1st, 2001.
.. BTL challenged the validity of the Stop Order and argued that it was ultra vires section 23 of the Telecommunications Act and that it was made in breach of the rules of natural justice.
.. The court found that when BTL changed from coin operated public call boxes to pre-paid operated public call boxes it did not consult the Director of Telecommunications as required by Condition 5.5 of BTL's licence but that the requirement in the Stop Order directing BTL to programme all pre-paid public call boxes to accept pre-paid cards at fifteen cents per call until further notice did not secure compliance with Condition 5.5 of BTL's licence and should be removed from the Stop Order.
.. The court also found that BTL did not adequately consult the Minister prior to increasing telephone rates with effect from 1st December, 2001 and as such the price increases were illegal.
.. The court held that the Stop Order is accordingly valid. The effect of this judgment is that BTL has to go back to the rates which were in force before December 1st, 2001.
.. The Government was represented by the Solicitor General, Mr. Elson Kaseke and Ms Minnet Hafiz, Crown Counsel, and BTL was represented by Learned Senior Counsel Ms Lois Young-Barrow.
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Re: Court orders B.T.L. to roll back rates
#59503
11/27/02 01:47 AM
11/27/02 01:47 AM
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,494 Belize
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Who cares, we changed to carrier pigeons. It's the latest innovation, reliable and the P.U.C. doesn't charge for that yet.
Live and let live
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Re: Court orders B.T.L. to roll back rates
#59504
11/27/02 02:16 AM
11/27/02 02:16 AM
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,494 Belize
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Did i mention that you can complain about BTL with PUC (Public Utilities Commission). at: http://www.puc.bz/complaints.asp
Live and let live
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Re: Court orders B.T.L. to roll back rates
#59505
11/27/02 02:48 AM
11/27/02 02:48 AM
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 306 San Pablo area of san Pedro, A...
Beachy
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and there was much rejoicing. hurrrahhhhhhh-- my bet's that I'll never see that money again. But you'll be seeing me switch even if the rates are the same, I've had enough of BTL, or rather, they've gotten enough of me.
Casa Picasso celebrated three yearsthis May, thanks to all of you! Chris and Jen
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Re: Court orders B.T.L. to roll back rates
#59507
11/27/02 10:05 PM
11/27/02 10:05 PM
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,494 Belize
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Beachy, switching is no use; Ashcroft is involved in the competition as well.
Live and let live
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