The representative of the Broad Front in the board of ANTEL, said this Monday that “the privatization” in the state telecommunications entity “is not to lower the rates”, and proceeded to explain his position “The Board increased the contributions to General Revenues to the year 2022: from $3,325 million budgeted, they went to $4,860 million. Only with those 38 million dollars could the fixed internet rate have been lowered by 9%, ”he explained on Twitter.
In the same tweet, he shared a two-page resolution dated June 9, 2022, in which it is read that the Board of Directors resolved to authorize the transfer to the General Treasury of the Nation, for the year 2022, of a supplement of $1,620 million, in compliance with the Article 643 of Law 16,170 of December 28, 1990.
PRIVATIZATION IS NOT TO LOWER RATES. The Board of Directors increased the contributions to General Revenue for the year 2022: from $3,325 million budgeted, they went to $4,860 million. Only with those 38 million dollars could the fixed internet rate have been lowered by 9%. pic.twitter.com/kUHK9jlqnI
– Daniel Larrosa (@LarrosaD123) June 20, 2022
The president of ANTEL, Gabriel Gurméndez, responded to these statements and asserted that Larrosa “knowingly mixes up and confuses.” “The resolution only establishes an adjustment by IPC of the budget items for the contribution to General Revenues and the eventual payment of 5G spectrum to URSEC. The total of these amounts does not grow in real terms,” Gurméndez tweeted, citing Larrosa’s original tweet.
“Director Larrosa is well aware of this explanation given that it was provided to him opportunely in the session in which this topic was discussed. In addition, I will request that a press release be published in which this matter is technically clarified,” added the hierarch.
The Director of ANTEL, Daniel Larrosa knowingly mixes up and confuses. The resolution only establishes an adjustment by IPC of the budget items for the contribution to General Revenues and the eventual payment of 5G spectrum to URSEC. The total of these amounts does not grow in real terms. //t.co/QmhQKB50yo
— Gabriel Gurmendez (@ggurmendez) June 20, 2022
“An investment of the Uruguayan people”
These clashes between the opposition and the ruling party took place days after the government of Luis Lacalle Pou authorized ANTEL to provide five cable operators with the infrastructure for these private companies to sell internet services in Montevideo, Canelones and Colonia. Larrosa understands that with this decision “the fixed internet is privatized, a state policy of the last 15 to 20 years is broken (and it is) totally unprotected” an investment made by ANTEL that exceeds US$850 million, money that is “from all the Uruguayan people.
The mayor of Montevideo, Carolina Cosse, was also critical, stating that we are “facing the emptying of ANTEL”, a decision that she described as “unpatriotic” and “of questionable legality”.
From the government, the position is rather liberal, because they believe that they are giving “more freedom” to users because there are “more options”, as the undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, Walter Verri, said. “There is no reason to be alarmed,” he added.
