28 Aug 2006

Ba Holdings boss says Fiji should shun Digicel

3:12 pm on 28 August 2006

A Fiji company, Ba Provincial Holdings, says the Jamaican mobile phone company, Digicel, should not be allowed to set up services in Fiji, because of its questionable practices.

Digicel has a provisional license to operate in Fiji but this is being challenged in court by monopoly company, Vodafone.

But Ba Provincial Holdings' new chair, Ratu Tevita Momoedonu, says he has asked the government to withdraw Digicel's licence.

He says Digicel has split the people of Ba and the acrimony could lead to bloodshed.

"The reason being that when Digicel wanted to be in partnership with us, the negotiation Digicel did with us was full of incorrect figures, the amount it was going to invest in Fiji, and also with the shareholding structure that they negotiated with the outgoing CEO of the company was rather suspicious and dubious."

Ratu Tevita Momoedonu says he won't negotiate with Digicel, but says he welcomes other partners as long as a deal is in the interest of indigenous Fijians.