Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunication, Clive Mullings at the Opening Ceremony for the Caribbean Telecommunications Union Ministerial meeting. Minister Mullings was the main speaker at the Forum’s gala dinner on Monday September 24, 2007.

Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications, Hon. Clive Mullings has said that the Commonwealth Telecommunications Union (CTU) has to play a more critical role in facilitating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) harmonization in the Caribbean and informing the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) process. In this regard, he suggested that firm commitments from member states and hard work from technocrats are now necessary for ICT growth in the Caribbean region.

“In order for the Caribbean to effectively compete in the global marketplace to attract investors, we must harmonize the policies, regulations and legislations”, he said.

Minister Mullings, who is also President of the CTU, was addressing the 10th General Conference of Ministers of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union on Thursday, October 4, 2007 in the Bahamas.

According to Minister Mullings, we have to collectively deal with the issues of interconnection, high telecommunications rate, the effect of voice over IP on revenues, disaster recovery, the digital divide and reviewing our legislative framework to deal with emerging technologies.

He noted that the Caribbean must strategically arrive at a regional ICT and Telecommunications position so that we can bargain at the international level, in order to accrue the maximum benefits for our people. “We must utilize the technology to engage the Diaspora so that they can assist with the growth of the region”, the Minister emphasized.

The CTU was established by treaty during a meeting in the Bahamas in 1989.