“The chamber believes that business and government should act in partnership to ensure fairness and to stimulate job growth and economic opportunity for all citizens,” chamber president David Leddy said in a press statement released. “Neither the chamber nor government should pick winners and losers as that defeats the purpose of the free market.”
GTA executives have spent the last few weeks seeking support for their bid to block IT&E’s grant application for nearly $89 million in broadband stimulus dollars.
GTA executives previously said that awarding the grant money to IT&E will put hundreds of local jobs at stake and unlevel the telecommunications playing field.
Leddy said the chamber’s goal is to implement decisions that benefit both the island as a whole as well as its membership. Free enterprise and a free market system, he said, helps increase the quality of life on Guam and helps develop the island’s economy.
“We believe the telecom privatization has been validated as being very beneficial for the people of Guam,” Leddy said. “This decision has greatly stimulated competition as it was supposed to and it lowers costs for products and services, saving our government and the people untold millions.”
Leddy said the chamber encourages greater privatization and if all parties involved are treated equally there will be huge benefits to the island.
GTA recently received support from the Guam Legislature and the Mayors Council.
A legislative resolution passed by lawmakers last month calls for a level playing field with competing telecommunications providers on Guam.
If the grant were to be awarded to IT&E, the resolution requests that the grant money be equally apportioned to all established telecommunications companies on Guam.
