black people as a condition for a licence to operate Quantum are misleading and untrue, according to Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb.

"I'm just not that stupid,'' said Ms Webb. "Besides, there is no way I can make that requirement.'' Clarifying her stance, Ms Webb said yesterday that none of the businesses her ministry has granted licences to are black owned.

Comments made by Ms Webb on the VSB radio talk show "Night Talk'' ignited controversy last week with the Opposition levelling charges of discrimination.

The Minister said that the live on-air discussion had centred on black economic empowerment and she had revealed that she had encouraged Cable & Wireless to "look at the possibility of partnering with groups who had not participated in the past''.

Minister defends stance But countering Opposition criticism and yesterday's Royal Gazette editorial, Ms Webb said: "There is no requirement that Cable & Wireless partner with people who have not participated.'' Encouraging a business to partner with black-owned enterprises cannot be discriminatory, Ms Webb said. "What would be discriminatory would be if I said to them, `If you don't do it then you will be penalised'.'' The minister added that the process of granting a telecommunications licence provided important checks against ministerial abuse of power.

Licence applications are subject to a public hearing by the Telecommunications Commission which makes its recommendations to the Minister.

Ms Webb said she has no say in what those recommendations are. And, she added, given that telecommunications hearings are normally legally contentious, all arguments that come up in the public hearing have to be considered.

"Every decision we make tends to end up in court,'' she said.

Long distance service provider, Cable and Wireless, wants to increase its share of local phone service provider Quantum to 60 percent. Besides applying to the Telecommunications Minister for a licence, it must also win an exemption from the 60-40 ownership law from the Minister of Finance.

Belco Holdings Ltd. is selling its majority share holdings of Quantum. Three other local companies -- two with substantial black ownership -- are said to be keenly interested in being partners with Cable & Wireless.

Ms Webb told The Royal Gazette that the Finance Ministry, not hers, may be concerned with who Cable & Wireless' partners are. And she claimed that as the minister committed to bringing about competition in the industry, she would not do anything to reverse progress.