Carty: KPMG working on report
for UTS-TelEm joint venture
PHILIPSBURG--United Telecommunications Services (UTS) Eastern Caribbean Chief Operations Officer Glen Carty confirmed Wednesday that KPMG had been contracted to make a report to determine whether there would be synergy with the merger of UTS St. Maarten and TelEm for certain services.
Carty confirmed that the boards of TelEm and UTS had met and held discussions about a possible working relationship. The next step will be for the shareholders of each company to review KPMG’s findings. Once they approve of a move forward there are still several steps to be taken.
These include an actual structure for the joint operations, and each process will have to pass through the appropriate channels for approval, which undoubtedly will include political circles, where there probably will be debates about it.
However, Carty said the interest in this regard was the joint venture possibilities for improving the bottom line. He said that for this possibility to be even considered, from a business standpoint the figures must show that it would be profitable.
He said that at the end of the day the two companies joining forces would only solidify St. Maarten’s position as it moved towards country status, as one of the world’s leading telecommunications service providers.
Carty continued, “Together we have quite a lot of human resources and both companies have shown through their launches of many products and services that they are capable of competing against international giants.”
He said they were not thinking only about operating in St. Maarten and this region. but about expanding their services to the world where they could compete in an open playing field with the “big players.”
He said joining forces would make the two companies stronger. Carty stated that no discussions had been held regarding reduction of staff, as it was not a consideration. He said the joint venture was only good if it was done to the benefit of the staff of both companies and of the clients, “and of course the bottom line of the company, financially speaking.”
He said at the end of the day it could not be said that no effort had been made by UTS to join forces.
