RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE S/GBT/W/13
14February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0916)
Original: Spanish Group onBasic Telecommunications
Statement byMr.JuanFrancisco Misle
Minister-Counsellor ofVenezuela
14February 1997
Thefollowing communication iscirculated attherequest ofVenezuela tothemembers ofthe
Group onBasic Telecommunications.
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Mr.Chairman, asVenezuela hasstated onother occasions, itattaches greatimportance tothe
liberalization ofthetelecommunications sector asameans ofboosting thecountry 'sdevelopment.
Thatiswhyitplayed anactive partinthefirststage ofthisprocess, bysubmitting avery
substantive offercontaining trade liberalization commitments forthefuture. Today, wearepleased
tosubmit therevised draftschedule onbasic telecommunications, withtheimprovements described
below:
- Venezuela binds theservices specified inthelistinatechnologically neutral manner;
- itassumes thefollowing additional commitments described intheReference Paper:
- competitive safeguards;
- interconnection;
- universal service;
- public availability oflicensing criterion;
- autonomous regulatory body;
- allocation anduseofscarce resources;
- itincludes theruraltelephony service forimmediate liberalization inaccordance with
thecriteriapermittedundertheexclusivecontractwiththeCompañiaAnónimaTeléfonos
deVenezuela (Venezuelan Telephone Company);
- anumber oftechnical adjustments havebeenmade totheschedule inorder tomake
itmore readily understandable;
- finally, although ourschedule does notcontain thewords "subject tospectrum
availability",inaccordancewiththeChairman'sNoteof3February1997(S/GBT/W/3),
Venezuelaretainsfullpowersoverthemanagementandadministrationofitsfrequencies
inaccordance withitsdomestic legislation.
./.S/GBT/W/13
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Asmaybeseen,withtheinclusionoftheseelementsVenezuela'sofferisevenmorefar-reaching.
Thisshows theVenezuelan Government 'sfirmcommitment toliberalization ofthissector andour
hopethattheoffer willcontribute tothesuccess ofthese negotiations.
Lastly,mydelegationreservestherighttomakewhatevermodificationsitmayconsidernecessary
untilthemoment ofitsfinaladoption bytheGroup, andmakes itsofferconditional uponasatisfactory
outcome ofthese negotiations forVenezuela andupon theoffers ofitsmain trading partners being
non-discriminatory incharacter.