EAP - The Pacific Infrastructure Challenge - World Bank (2006).pdf

Pacific countries are grappling with regional issues more resolutely than for many
years, but there is still a long way to go before the region can be held up as a best
practice example of regional cooperation or integration.
There are however real opportunities for international donor agencies to “piggyback”
on the work of the Forum and seek to establish workable relationships with
the Secretariat as a way of getting better coordination of infrastructure investment
policies. Indeed, there is a clear confluence of interests between the donor agencies
and the countries of the region to formulate a consistent and transparent policy
framework for building, operating and funding infrastructure on a sustainable basis
for the region, with common principles and governance arrangements.
There is also scope for regionalizing the regulatory framework for infrastructure
assets, either in the form of a support agency to assist in building and retaining the
human capacity of the regulatory institutions in each country, or to actually operate
across countries as the infrastructure regulator for the region.
Box 7.9: ECTEL – Regulatory Cooperation in Eastern Caribbean States
The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) was established
as a regional telecommunications regulatory advisory body by the Governments of
five Eastern Caribbean states (Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia
and St Vincent and the Grenadines). ECTEL’s responsibility is to coordinate the
approach to telecommunications regulation in each member state. It works closely
with telecommunications regulators and governments in each state, advising them
on: regional policy, types of telecommunications services, licensing, fees, pricing,
management and provision of universal service. The National
Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions (NTRC) are the
telecommunications regulators in each of the five member states. Each of these
Commissions have five commissioners appointed by the Minister as well as
varying levels of technical staff. The diagram illustrates the ECTEL’s structure
(left) and its relationship with the NTRCs:
Council of
Ministers
Board of
Directors
Directorate/
Secretariat
NTRC
St Lucia
NTRC
St Vincent
NTRC
St Kitts & Nevis
NTRC
Dominica
Council of Ministers: This group is made up of the
Ministers responsible for telecommunications in the
ECTEL states and the Director General of the OECS.
Board of Directors: One member from each member state
appointed by the Minister for a year
NTRC
Grenada
Directorate/Secretariat: Managing Director, Professional,
Technical and Support Staff
ECTEL has helped with early termination of monopoly licenses, introduction of
competition, and setting cost based tariffs and interconnection charges. Regional
cooperation in regulation has enabled ECTEL member countries to manage
scarce resources efficiently and leverage the inter-member country networks
efficiently resulting in increased flexibility. ECTEL’s existence has provided a
basis for a strong, unified approach to attracting investment and competition into
the region. Rates for telecommunications services have begun to fall, applications
for operating licenses are being processed and applications for the establishment
of call centers have been received. Where possible, ECTEL endeavors to enact
identical regulations in member states and to implement them consistently. This
has reduced the burden on individual regulators and has helped to attract
investment.
Source: Castalia Research
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