LIME About To Quit Jamaica?

Telecommunications provider LIME is being rumoured to calling it quits in Jamaica. The British parent company Cable and Wireless (C&W) plc was reported to be shutting down the operations in light of the difficult regulatory environment in Jamaica.

LIME of course in its last financial year reported losses in excess of  SIX BILLION Jamaican dollars after taxes.  Their subscription numbers have been struggling since Digicel began operations in Jamaica 2001.

Digicel quickly overtook the Incumbent monopoly Cable & Wireless and now boasts subscription of over 2.1 million in a population of little over 2.8 million people.

LIME in effect is result of the re-branding and fighting strategy of the Cable & Wireless Jamaica monopoly that we had grown to hate.  Are we heading towards another monopoly?

We recall in recent weeks the announcement by Digicel Jamaica that it will shut down its Claro operations migrating existing subscribers to the Digicel network.  This move was said to have been cleared by former Prime Minister Andrew Holness in his brief role as head of state.  The deal when announced by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding in parliament on August 30, 2011, stipulated that Digicel Jamaica maintain separate networks.

LIME Jamaica was of course Incensed by the announcement that they would adjust the original agreement and former Prime Minister Holness has come under intense criticism.  We believe he has since apologized for the lack of transparency in the agreement.

As it relates to the rumours we are left in a bind, because the indicators would indeed favour a pull out leaving us where we started, with a MONOPOLY.

In a Jamaica Observer story, LIME Chairman Chris Dehring categorically denied the rumours.  The managing director also made strong denials, intimating that LIME is fully committed to Jamaica and is here for the long run.

What are your thoughts on the Merger agreement?  Do you think LIME can survive in the current regulatory environment?

FULL Jamaica Observer story

Is Redjet Failing?

Redjet since its launch of service to the caribbean has enjoyed a rocky ride albeit overcoming many of the initial challenges they faced.  Image source: Clovis Toons (Jamaica Observer)

As far as the service goes however it has to be said that they have made a great impression in the minds of those who have had the pleasure to fly with the low cost carrier.  Not the very least in their pockets. I can readily speak to that since I was able to spend christmas with my family in Jamaica for only US$200 return fare, while checking in two large bags each over 50lbs and carry on two others including me laptop bag.  You can't get that anywhere else to be quite frank.

An interesting thing that caught my eyes on my way back to Trinidad was the fact that I could have played a good game of football or cricket in the back of the plane if I were allowed.  Each of my traveling companions (and there were 12) could manage to control an entire row for themselves.  I saw beyond the comfort however, because I knew straight away that empty seats of that magnitude was bad for business at any rate. 

The service I must admit was top of the line and the staff must be commended for an enthralling experience.  Being a low cost carrier, the familiar hot meal that we have grown accustomed to was available, but at a cost between US$5 and US$10 with snacks, beer, wine and other liquor reasonably priced.  Of course for a three (3) hour flight the savory fill up of Island Grill's juicy jerk chicken would have done the trick for most of us.

source: Redjet

No later than a few days after my return to Trinidad the news was littered with talks about Redjet facing financial difficulties.  This was not surprising as I intimated that I already saw the signs of a logistic nightmare.  Running an airline is not a job for the week at heart because there are so many variables that you have to get right to keep those planes flying.  I will briefly look at the most significant variable assuming operation is in full effect.

Queen Portia owns Jamaica House

Jamaica welcomed 2012 with a new government in waiting for an official transfer of power.  After the Seven Day Wonder (seven days leading up the December 29th elections) as I called it, team Portia came out with an astonishing landslide victory over the Andrew Holness led JLP, winning by two-thirds majority.  While we don't go into the reasons for this defeat by the JLP, it must be said that the margin of victory was beyond the imagination of anybody including the PNP.

The official victory margin now stands at 42 seats to 21 in favour of the PNP. To put it figuratively: 

  "Portia owns Jamaica House"  

Meanwhile the JLP are left to lick their wounds and the postmortem for Andrew Holness is in earnest.  He would now have more questions than answers as it were, and he must be feeling aggrieved by the outcome of the polls and the fact that he had to give up the enviable status of Prime Minister of Jamaica. Moreover, he has to repack his bags only month after unpacking them at the Prime Ministers Residence on Hope Rd. While he reflect on the events of the last couple months he inevitably has to deal with rejection by his people.

As Mrs Simpson-Miller was being sworn in on Thursday January 5th it must have been De Javu for Mr. Holness as only a few weeks ago he was at that said Kings house in much the same company. This time however he looked on with mixed emotions.  It must be said above all that Mrs' Simpson-Miller gave an excellent account of herself and all Jamaicans, black, white, green, orange or whatever have to give her respect for what she has accomplished.

Even before the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday the questions were up in the air as to who will form the cabinet and how many members.  As it were the new cabinet was sworn in the following day and has the following dimension: Source Jamaica Information Service

Jamaica's Media War - Is the media really independent?

On the back of the recent announcement of the election date by the Prime Minister Andrew Holness the campaigns of the two main political parties are motoring into high gear.  With the elections a little over two weeks away we are however beginning to see signs of the undesirable behaviors that are common on the Jamaican political platform.  Meanwhile,  the public continue to look and listen as they shape their decisions.

In the thick of all this is the Jamaican mass media and many are beginning to question whether the media is a victim or a perpetrator of their own propaganda exploits. As we seek to balance the arguments in this important issue we ask the pertinent question: Is the media really independent as they say?

Top TEN(10) Exam tips!!!

1. Make a plan This is very important because it give you a sense of purpose which will in turn help you to focus.  Break down your study activities into days and hours and do a checklist before each study session.
2. Know Your Timetable One of the worst things you could ever do is miss your exam.  Check regularly to ensure that you have the correct information about your exam venue, time and date.
3. Know the Rules Read and understand the examination rules.  You cannot afford the pressure and repercussions of a misconduct when you should be focusing on writing your exam.  For example Cell phones are not allowed in exam rooms, so make proper arrangement to leave it with someone or at home.
4. Know your rights Familiarize yourself with the University policy regarding examinations so that you can identify if your rights are being violated or denied.  For example if for some valid reason you cannot complete an exam there are facilities in place for you to get reprieve.  Also if you are not satisfied with your results you may apply for a remark.
5. Consult Be sure to consult with your course lecturer to get a sense of what you need to do to get prepared.  usually the course lecturer would have the best idea of what is required in terms of supplementary material, the duration and structure of the paper.
6. Balance your time well Use your timetable to balance the time and schedule of your study sessions.  For example if you have an exam on the 20th and one on the 5th you might want to spend 90% of the time on the first exam leading up to it. For exams that are close together you have to balance them based on your strengths in the different subjects.  Do not however, neglect courses that you are very strong in.
7. Collaborate Form study alliances so that you can keep track of schedule changes and enrich your study experience through information exchange.  Nothing helps you to understand a topic better than teaching it to somebody.  There is value in sharing.
8. Organize Have everything you need for exams in place long before the time -  Calculators, pens, pencils, ruler, tables etc.  Be sure to familiarize yourselves with exam materials including formula sheets and supplementary material.   Know how to use your tables, calculators and datasheets.  Have a strategy for organizing your exam desk. This will improve your efficiency considerably.
9. Rest This is a key part of your productive life. While you often get a lot less sleep during exam season, you need to ensure that on the night before the test you get at least SIX (6) hours sleep.  This may vary for different persons but the key point is that it is better to be well rested and be able to use your brains at maximum capacity than to be tired and fighting to stay awake in an exam.  Of course this assumes that you took the necessary steps outlined above and are well prepared before the day of the test.
10. Arrive on time This is probably the most ignored tip, but one of the most important.  The fact is you are at a disadvantage when you arrive late.  You are normally required to fill out exam receipts and this is allowed before the exam starts.  Also corrections on the exam paper are usually issued prior to the start of any exam.  If you miss all of that, you have less time to do your actual exam as no additional time is given to do it.  Be smart!

Dedicated to my Students in Business Management and Professional Office Management At UWI OPEN Campus.  Good Luck in your Final Exams!!!
Copyright 2011 OJB Solutions (You are free to share and distribute once you include a link back to the original article)