LIME Jamaica Chairman Chris Dehring has likened the speed of the Government’s approval of the CWC/Columbus merger to that of the island’s world-beating athletes.

The merger still remains under consideration in other countries over competition concerns. But Jamaica’s approval signalled to Dehring, and also to Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) Chairman Sir Richard Lapthorne that the island actually tops the Caribbean in the Ease of Doing Business index.

“Let me put on record: We have the fastest man in the world, the fastest female athletes in the world, the fastest female swimmer in the world and probably the fastest Government and regulator in the world, because Jamaica was the first country to approve the CWC and Columbus merger,” Dehring told the CWC board and stakeholders at a dinner held at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Tuesday night.

“I am very proud of the very thorough job that the regulators did. There was no emotion. They sat down and looked at the facts. They called us in and said ‘these were our concerns’, and we responded as to how we would address them,” he said.

Dehring added that Jamaica has come a “very long way” in the regulatory and “modernisation journey” of the telecommunications sector.

“I want to publicly commend the Government of Jamaica for its prescience in this regard, which is equally a testament to the advancements we have made in the development of the regulatory framework that governs the country’s telecommunications sector,” said Dehring.

CWC board members visited the island this week to discuss the merger and to get updates regarding CWC’s US$250 million (J$29 billion) investment in subsidiary LIME Jamaica to update its technology.

The last time the board met in Jamaica was some “eight years ago”, stated Dehring in a build-up to a joke which alluded to the departure of LIME CEOs in the past.

“The last time they were here, the CEO got fired shortly after they left,” Dehring joked. “The good news though, Garry, is that you have about a month remaining. So you have time to make up.”

Garfield ‘Garry’ Sinclair remains the longest-serving LIME Jamaica CEO in a decade at the once ailing company. Despite its continued net losses, the company in 2014 topped the local stock market offering investors a 200 per cent price gain in 52 weeks. It was based in part on the double-digit rise in subscribers and news of the merger.

“Jamaica has a good investment climate. We greatly appreciate the support of the Government for encouraging investments, whether through levelling the playing field so that customers can benefit from more affordable mobile termination rates, or more recently for the approving of the merger of Cable & Wireless and Columbus,” stated Sir Richard in his address.

Last October, the World Bank said that the island ranked 59th out of 189 economies globally to top the Caribbean on the ease of doing business index.

“We totally agree with that assessment,” Sir Richard said, adding that CWC would begin investing to build out services based on the acquisition.

“We are now ready to release the sort of investment that neither company could have afforded alone. Because of the merger, Jamaicans will significantly benefit as CWC will expand our broadband infrastructure and give customers a first-generation super-fast, robust network,” he said. “There will always be choice and vibrant competition, but we want LIME/Flow to be the choice for Jamaicans.”

In closing, Sir Richard pledged support for Vision 2030.