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STOP LIME!

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Submitted by Anthony Davis
Donville Inniss - Minister of Commerce, and International Business going with the FLOW
Donville Inniss – Minister of Commerce, and International Business going with the FLOW

Minister of Commerce Danville Inniss says he is not troubled by the proposed merger of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) and Columbus International Inc., which trade here as LIME and FLOW respectively. However, an issue which is of great importance and should be addressed, he said, was the lack of regulation of all services provided by telecommunications companies – Barbados Today

Minister Inniss, you need not be “distracted by the talk around the LIME and Columbus merger” because you already know how your bread is buttered. You must remember – which you in this Government seldom do – the poor, the needy and the vulnerable in our society.

Can you imagine LIME introducing per minute fees for our domestic telephone lines?

Just imagine, Mr. Minister, some old age pensioner in your constituency whose only contact with many of his/her is that telephone. Just imagine once again, one of them wanting desperately to hear another comforting voice and is standing in front of the phone wondering if he/she can afford it.

LIME had the nerve to move terminate the personnel of our Call Centre and make us call St. Lucia where people don’t even know where Oistins is and supposed to be able to give us other information.

Mr. Minister of Commerce, do you know that LIME is demanding that the populace of this country purchase a LIME mobile phone if they want to have LIME TV?

Do you think that CWC would dare make the same preconditions in Britain or in any of the EU countries?

I don’t think so, which leads me to believe that we are, in their minds, just some backward colonials still. Is this the company which you would like to see become a such a GARGANTUAN monopoly?

I wouldn’t!

That’s why I don’t want the FTC to give them the go ahead with this merger!

We don’t need such a JUGGERNAUT in such a small country as Barbados. Get the legislation in place before allowing any such takeover!

Shadow Minister for Industry and Commerce, Kerrie Symmonds, stated in an interview with Barbados TODAY: “But if LIME now has possession and domination of the market, then it follows logically that they are not likely to feel any pressure towards improving the after-sales service to the customer.”

That is also my opinion!

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145 responses to “STOP LIME!”

  1. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    David

    My expectations of the FTC are not that high. Based on its past actions it appears to me that the FTC is more likely to protect the interest of C&W than that of the consumer. I could be wrong but nothing in the FTC’s past has given me any hope that they would prevent this unholy monopoly.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    Does anyone know when the FTC will rule on FLOWS’s acquisition by C&W?

  3. Lionel Riley Avatar
    Lionel Riley

    People are trying to move away from lime because of bad service and join Flow and going back in the hands of lime,it wold be worse than before.

  4. David Avatar
    David

    BU was tagged on Facebook the following:

    Thomas Sankara

    Barbados Proxy Independence:. How can Bajans sing the national anthem and celebrate independence when the Telecommunications,Energy, Food Distribution and Banking industry are all foreign owned. Try getting a loan from a commercial bank and you will be surprised. Some person in another country either Trinidad or Canada has your future in their hands for two weeks while the loan officers in Barbados are just order takers. Perhaps, many don’t understand what it means to be independent. Corey A Lane David King

  5. David Avatar
    David

    @Lionel Riley

    Any comment on your decision to stand as one of two sureties for Rodney Wilkinson?

  6. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Caswell
    You know of course that this is all your fault….
    If we don’t have the few men around who have working cajoles in charge of our affairs, is it not obvious that outsiders will become confused as to our gender – and apply the French Connection (UK) principle to us?

    Wuh you done know ….that you and Bushie would deal with this matter by inviting the LIME CEO to a ten minute meeting and explaining to him how we would be dealing with ANY monopoly in Barbados in terms of prices, service standards and customer complaints.
    Shiite man… after 5 minutes he would get the message and run back to his office and cancel this shitty move that they have initiated….

    The problem with brass bowls is that they have no balls.

    Same shiite with Massy / EMERA / Republic…..You want to own a monopoly in Barbados and you are NOT a Bajan….? OK fine,….. here are the rules:

    ….ALL prices for services and products must be at least as good as they are in your base country.
    …ALL service standards must be equal to or better than in your base country
    …Clear steps MUST be taken via maintenance /reinvestment of resources to ensure the LONG-TERM viability of the sector under monopoly ownership.
    …Upon takeover of ownership, ANY employee leaving the organization within three years of takeover, for any reason, MUST be paid severance pay in accordance to local law.
    ….All audited financial information must be published.

    You really have to be complete BB jackasses when you control the LAWS of the land – and find yourselves constantly and completely fcuked by second rate foreigners at every turn….

  7. The People's Democtatic Congress Avatar
    The People’s Democtatic Congress

    If the above reported statement that is attributed to the Minister of Commerce is anything to go by, then it could be reasonably argued by any one following the general goings on in government in this country that such a statement is as prejudicial as can be to the quasi-judicial FTC making a determination in a matter that has to come before it involving the same Cable and Wireless bid to acquire Columbus Communications.

    Therefore, who would believe that his minister is the same one who has political responsibility for the FTC and that under the FTC Act has the authority to issue general policy directions to the FTC!!

    Too, the outcome of the FTC determining this matter is so crucial as to whether or not there will come about far less competition in many areas in the local telecommunications market, and as to whether or not Cable and Wireless will become once more a very dominant monopolistic player in this market, that it cannot be ignored the reported utterances of this Minister who, as stated earlier in this piece, has political responsibility for the FTC, and who too often disregards the principle of ministerial responsibility.

    It is in such and other relevant regards that this Minister, who ever so often suffers from verbal diarrhea, must be told to take his damn place and must be made to receive the highest public censure possible from many Barbadians for already interfering in the process leading up to the FTC determining such a matter.

    This joke minister must be condemned in the strongest terms.

    PDC

  8. bk Avatar
    bk

    Before the Minister said anything about the current sLime issue, i had already told my friends that ‘they’ would get the go ahead, the cogs have/are, been/being well greased. This whole thing stinks, if this deal goes through, im taking out my sLime service, and switching to Digi Wifi, hopefully Digi can lower their prices, increase speeds, and pick up alot of ppl who just HATE to do business with that awful company

  9. bk Avatar
    bk

    Or even an ISP like Hughesnet, smh just cant stand sLime

  10. Hamilton Hill Avatar
    Hamilton Hill

    I am told that I am the ultimate pessimist for I am firmly of the belief that based on the way things have always been around here, big wigs don’t put that kind of money on the line publicly unless the planks are already in place. In other words the pilots are already guiding the vessel to safe harbor. The minister promises regulation. They also promised an all local music radio station. When though, that is the question.

  11. David Avatar
    David

    @Hamilton Hill

    THere is probably a MOU in place with C&W articulating x millions in FDI and y number of jobs promised. If you listen to the head of C&W he pretty much hinted at it. In the meantime the sheeple holler.

  12. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    A friend has an ongoing dispute with Lime in that free Lime TV scam.She was told in order to have the free offer,her current cell phone must be upgraded to an additional $60.00;its now 4 months since she has been billed for that extra expense and still she does not have the free tv because there is no fibre optic in her area.Lime did not tell her that fibre optic was a requirement!What they did tell her and what they are billing her for is the cell phone upgrade!Lime is thieving Limeys and the FTC is just a toothless entity just as Freundel Stuart and Darcy Boyce are.
    In respect of the gun toting JA Estwick,when I heard him say that it was the fault of people who criticised him when he speaks and the same when he doesn’t speak,I knew he was playing the people for JA’s.But that is the Dems for you.The most incompetent,barefoot liars known to Barbados.

  13. Hamilton Hill Avatar
    Hamilton Hill

    @ David. ..notice how John public is never privy to these MOUs yet we loved the program called The People’s Business. Top class fourth estate in this Barbados.

  14. ac Avatar
    ac

    STOP Lime!

    HA!HA! Really!jokers….
    What is the size of wunna bargaining chip? ammm.

  15. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @Bushie let me change your comment……..You want to own a monopoly of an ESSENTIAL SERVICE in Barbados,….. here are the rules:

    LIME is buying FLOW in order to increase profitability by controlling market share and prevent competition.

  16. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    I’m curious about this entire affair concerning Cable & Wireless and Columbus Communications/Flow.

    Can anyone tell me if it is the Cable & Wireless Barbadian franchise LIME that is set to purchase Columbus Communications, or is it the parent company Cable & Wireless?

    If it is indeed the parent company [Cable & Wireless], what can the Fair Trading Commission, and by extension the government, do to halt this purchase?

    It must be noted that Columbus Communications “is a privately held, Barbados based international business corporation”, which encompasses subsidiary companies, operating under the brand “Flow”, in Barbados, Curacao, Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad, as well as “Karib Kable” in Antigua, St. Lucia and St. Vincent.

    Since the company’s shares are privately owned, it means they do not have to meet the filing requirements as mandated by the BSE for publicly traded companies; e.g. the company does not have to publish their detailed financial statements for public perusal.
    Also as a private company, Columbus can issue shares, but these shares are not traded on the Barbados Stock Exchange [BSE]. However, the sale of shares may be facilitated by a registered broker and must meet all BSE requirements.

    Under these circumstances, how can the Barbadian authorities stop a privately owned company from selling its shares if the sale meets all the requirements of the BSE and is done through the process of one of the brokers registered with the BSE? What about the governments in the other territories in which Columbus operates?

  17. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Don’t the two entities have to operate in scattered markets that are regulated?

  18. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    According to MercoPress, South Atlantic News Agency – Monday, November 10, 2014:

    “Columbus International Inc., the fiber-based telecoms company which operates in the Caribbean as Flow, has been acquired by LIME PARENT COMPANY, CABLE & WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS PLC. (CWC), in a $3bn buyout deal announced last Friday.”

    “CWC will pay $1.9bn for the privately-held, Barbados-based business, and will also assume Columbus’ net debt, which stood at $1.17bn as at June 30, 2014.”

    “Cable & Wireless Communications dropped 8% on news of the Columbus deal, which is being funded by 707.5m in cash, an issue of 1.5 billion shares to investment vehicles controlled by Columbus’ co-founders, and a share issue worth nearly 10% of the outstanding capital.”

    “Cable-television billionaire John Malone, Columbus’ largest single minority shareholder, will own 13% of Cable & Wireless Communications as part of the overall 36% stake owned by Columbus’ shareholders in the enlarged company.”

  19. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    If you were to read the financial news in publications such as the New York Times or Bloomberg Business Week, you will discover that, Cable and Wireless Communications, which is listed in London has already purchased Columbus….. it’s a done deal.

    However, it must also be noted that Professor Avinash Persaud, joined in the protest against the sale by writing an open letter to Caribbean governments requesting them to block the deal until it has secured “guarantees open to public scrutiny and monitoring”.

    What can Barbados do if the governments of those island in which Flow operate allowed the UK based Cable & Wireless Communications to buy Columbus Communications?

  20. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    The CEO of C&W in an interview with Babb from VOB last week stated the deal is subject to regulatory approval. We will have to wait to see if it is a rubber stamp.

  21. FearPlay Avatar
    FearPlay

    What can the people of the Caribbean do? We can do what is done in other countries where the citizens have a backbone; all those who transferred to FLOW to get away from LIME are advised to transfer your phone accounts to Digicel and TV accounts to MCTV post haste. LIME will discover that they bought an empty egg basket. Can you imagine the impact this will have on LIME and their greedy shareholders? This is also a golden opportunity for Digicel and MCTV to go on a promotion offering three months subscription at 50% off to anyone wanting to switch.

  22. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Fear Play wrote “transfer your phone accounts to Digicel and TV accounts to MCTV ”

    Is this possible? If it is Bajans should take your advice.

  23. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Transferring to MCTV is like asking a soon to be murder victim if he prefers to be shot or stabbed.

  24. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ Caswell any thoughts on how Bajans can fight this abuse by C&W/Lime?

    The government is not going to resign or be overthrown and the FTC is a virtual rubber stamp.

  25. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    http://www.cellphones.ca/cell-plans/

  26. ac Avatar
    ac

    Wuh lime pulled a big foot move on wunna opened a dummy company under another name right under wunna noses .drag wunna along for the free ride and the rest is history.FTC can,t stop them… a company of course now claiming substantial losses have a right to seek refuge by mergers..file bankruptcy or close shop.
    out of them three which wunna prefer.

  27. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    @ David | November 12, 2014 at 11:31 AM |

    “@Artax: The CEO of C&W in an interview with Babb from VOB last week stated the deal is subject to regulatory approval. We will have to wait to see if it is a rubber stamp.”

    As long as the merger/purchase meets all the legal requirements, regulatory obligations and approvals relative to privately owned companies, then it is left to be seen what the government can do.
    ………………………………………………………………………………….

    @ Hants | November 12, 2014 at 1:33 PM |

    “The government is not going to resign or be overthrown and the FTC is a virtual rubber stamp.”

    First things first, we must take the emotion out of this issue and understand Cable & Wireless Communications [listed in the UK] is the company undergoing the process of purchasing Columbus Communications……….. NOT LIME.

    Therefore, under these circumstances the Fair Trading Commission does not have any jurisdiction. The FTC will come into play if the CWC, through LIME, engages in unfair competition practices or to regulate rates. The FTC is bound, by law, to ensure a business protects its profits as well as protect the consumer.

  28. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @Artaxerxes,

    I can’t take the emotion out of this issue as long as there are pensioners and low income people in Barbados.

    Barbados is like a brothel for investors.

    I doan have to read for brainiacs like you.

  29. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    One of the questions in the Babb interview was a time table for re branding. Implied is that the parent transaction will impact local operations.

  30. ac Avatar
    ac

    blah!blah!done deal and to think wunna donkeys entertained the thought of having “one red jet ” when wunna gonna learn to pool wunna resources together. these big guys are unstoppable got more windows and doors to escape than houdini

  31. HAMILTON A HILL Avatar
    HAMILTON A HILL

    @ Caswell….As per your 1:28pm post I feel you should be made to pay to fix my lap top. You got my lap top filled with vodka and tonic that I spit out while laughing at your soon to be murdered comment. However I’m hoping that you are wrong, for somehow, someway there has got to be a pellucid message sent by Bajans to LIME. If you are waiting on the FTC to you I say good luck! A listen to today’s brasstacks program should have given a very clear and concise insight as to what is in store for the bajan consumer.

  32. David Avatar
    David

    There is a good opportunity the rising in country sentiment against C&W (LIME) may work against an unpopular government. Many ordinary Bajans who switched to FLOW will/may demonstrate disaffection against the government seen as the authority of last resort. Interesting times.

  33. ac Avatar
    ac

    So let me see the govt goes and Lime stays..new govt same problem. what next new govt plays big and bad right Mia..u think so. go figure

  34. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David | November 12, 2014 at 4:27 PM |

    Is it true that Bajans will soon be asked to pay LIME a fee of $4.68 unless they pay their bills on line?

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller

    This is the word making the rounds, will have to research it. Don’t think it is a regulated service.

  36. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    @ David | November 12, 2014 at 3:54 PM |

    “@Artax : One of the questions in the Babb interview was a time table for re branding. Implied is that the parent transaction will impact local operations.”

    Bear in mind CWC will also assume US $1.17 billion of Columbus debt, taking the total value of the transaction to US $3.02 billion.

    Purchasing Columbus Communications’ debt gives CWC the advantage of paying a lower price upfront for Columbus. Obviously, CWC will streamline operations to improve the company’s profitability and pay off its debts.
    Additionally, CWC would not want to use its cash flow, which it would otherwise use to develop the business, to repay the debt. This would increase financial risk and affect their ability to obtain any additional loans.

    Therefore, to achieve these objectives, some level of rebranding will have to be considered, especially against the background CWC will be operating two businesses similar in nature.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Agreed, and implied in a rebrand and streamlining as you stated is level setting services and prices which invites regulatory review and approval.

  38. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    @ millertheanunnaki | November 12, 2014 at 5:03 PM |

    “Is it true that Bajans will soon be asked to pay LIME a fee of $4.68 unless they pay their bills on line?”

    LIME is seeking to explore this possibility from January 1, 2015. The reason behind this venture is to reduce expenses incurred from paper, printing and mailing. Customers can log on to LIME’s website, create a personal user account, enter your e-mail details and the bill information will be sent via your e-mail.

    You will be able to access LIME billing services by logging onto to your account, reviewing the bill, which can be viewed in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet format. To facilitate payment, go to appropriate section, enter your credit card information, and pay your account on-line.

    I have been using this service for the past few months.

  39. ac Avatar
    ac

    well not so bad after all,,see like the big offense has become a big defense of lime,,,sigh….wunna never gonna learn,

  40. bk Avatar
    bk

    @ Artax
    The average bajan doesnt have a credit card

  41. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Artaxerxes | November 12, 2014 at 5:56 PM |
    “You will be able to access LIME billing services by logging onto to your account, reviewing the bill, which can be viewed in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet format. To facilitate payment, go to appropriate section, enter your credit card information, and pay your account on-line.”

    I have no problem with that. As a matter of fact we welcome such an expanding facility and its altruistic e-goal of greening the economy and brining Barbados in line with a 21st Century I T Superhighway world.
    But what about those who have a landline but have no access to the Internet or do not have an active bank account because of small unreliable incomes which the greedy banks are not prepared to tolerate. Why should they be penalized just because of their current economic circumstances?

    We are sure when the prevailing rates for landline services were set and approved by the FTC the cost of producing paper-based billings to all customers was factored into the monthly billing rate for each customer.
    Why not offer an incentive to those who pay on line rather than penalize those who can’t help themselves (except, of course, those over 65 years)?
    What would happen if the other utilities like the BL&P and the soon to be privatized BWA and NPC move to such a billing system? Would we witness the demise of SurePay?

  42. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    What Lime should be required to do is to offer a 5% discount on the bills to those who prefer the on line option but they must continue the existing method to those who do not have inet access.Actually its a backdoor method of making people buy Lime internet services.Lime the swine and FTC the toothless watchdog!

  43. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    EWB said,One day you bajans will wake up and realize you no longer have a country…
    The chorus at line 4 of the national anthem will thus be amended to read:
    These fields and hills beyond recall,
    Are NOT our very own…..

  44. ac Avatar
    ac

    Wait wuh happen to the big bad BLP mcguffies who were calling for lime head to be severe and handed on a platter,,even miller gone soft talking about he see some light (LIME) at the end of the tunnel ,, hey guys not that easy after all and wunna want to be in charge of govt,,,, WELL.. WELLL WELL,

  45. David Avatar
    David

    Yes Gabriel, we have gotten unhitched from the plot a somewhat. To be honest what is happening in Barbados has many running scared, the system is broken and we are not seeing the leadership rising to the fore to arrest it.

  46. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    But certainly our laws in Barbados ,as it relates , to commerce demands that bills be issued to a customer for goods and services paid for . And I do not think that any amendment was made to specify that any online payments should disregard a written bill.
    When I pay any utility bills via Sure Pay etc, a postage stamp of a certain value is attached. How does this relate to an an online payment.?

  47. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Given that schools have benefited from “EduTech” the poor people who don’t have Internet can give the money to the children and get them to ask the Principal or a teacher to use their credit card to pay the phone bill online.

  48. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    bk | November 12, 2014 at 6:22 PM |

    “@ Artax: The average bajan doesnt have a credit card….”

    Not having a credit card is a non-issue.
    If you don’t have one, you can still go on-line and create your account. The bill is sent to your e-mail between the 9th or 10th of each month, access your bill information and go to LIME offices or Sure Pay to pay the bill.

    But you will tell me the average Bajan don’t have e-mail. Many of them have Black Berry, Samsung Galaxy and other brands of smart phones. They can use the same internet services they use to text, whatsapp, FB, twitter or play games, to create an account at LIME.

    You will then ask me about senior citizens. If LIME moves fully to on-line payments, senior citizens should be exempted from postal charges. The process could be similar to what is under taken by the BWA, where pensioners are given a discount on their water bills. On verifying persons are pensioners, LIME would post the bills free of charge.

    Like it or not, Barbados will move to a stage where businesses will no longer see it as financially viable posting bills to customers and will seek to utilize available technology to replace that process.

    We complain daily about the long lines and slow processes at Licensing Authority and Inland Revenue, while suggesting government move to an on-line payment system. What will you say if government decides to move in this direction?

  49. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    @ millertheanunnaki | November 12, 2014 at 6:24 PM |

    “We are sure when the prevailing rates for landline services were set and approved by the FTC the cost of producing paper-based billings to all customers was factored into the monthly billing rate for each customer. Why not offer an incentive to those who pay on line rather than penalize those who can’t help themselves (except, of course, those over 65 years)? What would happen if the other utilities like the BL&P and the soon to be privatized BWA and NPC move to such a billing system? Would we witness the demise of SurePay?”

    I agree with your comments, Miller.

    As I posted previously, if companies in Barbados decide to utilize on-line billing technology, obviously they will have to take senior citizens and those persons who do not have credit cards into consideration. If their bills are sent via e-mail, all they have to do is access the billing information and pay their bills at either LIME or Sure Pay.
    ………………………………………………………………………………

    @ Gabriel | November 12, 2014 at 6:29 PM |

    “What Lime should be required to do is to offer a 5% discount on the bills to those who prefer the on line option but they must continue the existing method to those who do not have inet access.”

    Another good suggestion, Gabriel.

  50. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    BL&P has been asking its customers to join their e-billing programme. There is no charge and no obligation to join, and those who opt for e-billing can at any time revert to postal billing.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

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