Committee Postpones Decision on Cofetel Candidates

The permanent committee of Mexico's congress has postponed until Wednesday, May 24, its approval of the candidates nominated to form the new board of telecoms regulator Cofetel, local daily El Financiero reported.

President Vicente Fox came up with five names, but failed to propose one of them as Cofetel chairman, a duty the permanent committee requires him to perform before it makes its decision.

The senate only released the names of the five candidates - Rafael del Villar Alrich, Gonzalo Martínez Pous, Fernando Lerdo de Tejada, Julio Di Bella Roldán and José Luis Peralta Higuera - on Wednesday, following complaints that the time being taken to appoint them was evidence of political maneuvering, rather than a concerted effort to bring immediate life back to Cofetel. Fernando Lerdo has since refused to confirm he is a candidate.

Cofetel has now been without a board for almost six weeks and telecoms executives in Mexico believe the government's indecision has caused companies to suspend investments and consumers to suffer.

Digital trunking operator Nextel Mexico is eager to begin SMS interconnection with other mobile operators and has applied for a permit to offer local telephony, but decisions on these matters remain pending because Cofetel has no management board.

As a result investment plans have been put on hold and consumers are missing out on the launch of new services, the paper quoted Nextel Mexico vice president Gustavo Cantú as saying.

Former Cofetel chairman Jorge Arredondo resigned end-April shortly after the April 11 resignation of board members Clara Luz Álvarez, Abel Hibert and Salma Jalife.

The officials resigned in protest at reforms giving Cofetel power to regulate radio and television, but no extra powers for controlling the telelcoms sector.

BNamericas.com"

Posted to the site on 19th May 2006