ROSEAU, Dominica, Aug 21, CMC – Telecommunication ministers from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are likely to agree on a policy regarding roaming rates in the sub-region when they meet in October, Telecommunications Minister Kelver Darroux has said.

He said that a decision on roaming rates is long overdue.

“We have met as the Council of Ministers of ECTEL (Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority) on the matter. We have had consultations held with various stakeholders to get the views as to what’s the best approach.

“Like we have said the European Union has gone ahead and done it and I believe for a smaller jurisdiction like the OECS member states there’s no difficulty in us moving forward. I believe we still have to take a practical step towards achieving it,” he said.

Darroux said that the ministers of the OECS ministers have listen to the plight of the consumers of the region as (it) relates to the high rates of roaming”.

He insisted that it is a situation that has to be addressed “in a timely manner.

“There has been enough talk on the matter and it is time to take action. I think we have to put more pressure on the telecom service providers in the region,” he said, acknowledging that while they individually have made “significant investments, they have held their grounds now and I think we have to put more pressure on them.

“And I think with that pressure from the Council of Ministers of ECTEL we will implement it. The Council of Ministers meet again in October of this year and that will be one of the items on the agenda at this meeting to see where we are at, what progress we have made and I am hoping at that meeting we can come to a final decision as it relates to roaming rates in the Caribbean and the OECS in particular,” Darroux said.