Three companies identified ~

PHILIPSBURG--The Daily Herald has been reliably informed that the Island Government has appointed Crastell Gumbs to lead the negotiating team to find a suitable partner for the TelEm Group of Companies or a company that would opt to purchase TelEm outright.

Commissioner in charge of TelEm Group affairs William Marlin could not be reached to verify the report on Thursday. However, three companies have received letters indicating that negotiations will commence soon. These companies are Caribbean telecom giant Digicel, Lime (Cable & Wireless) and United Telecommunication Services (UTS).

The process to partner TelEm with a third party has been an ongoing one for more than two years. Former TelEm Group CEO Pieter Drenth had noted that the telecom market was quickly reaching the saturation point, with more and more operators being allowed into areas once held by TelEm.

Against this backdrop, he argued, the company must now move more urgently with its restructuring plans and go into partnership with a third party if it is to remain sustainable.

Gumbs is currently an advisor to Minister of Telecommunication Patrick Illidge.