New telecoms sector entrant Green Gibraltar Incorporated has announced that its application to provide cellular services in Guyana has received government’s approval.
The company, which describes itself as “100% Guyanese owned” made the announcement yesterday in a statement where it thanked the Telecommunications Agency and Prime Minister Mark Phillips for their “diligent scrutiny” in the licensing process.
“With the approval of the license, efforts will now focus on the steps necessary to commence operations,” it said.
The company’s formal application was submitted in January of 2021.
According to the statement, in 2019, MHM Holdings GY, Inc. and Green Gibraltar, Inc., led by Guyanese entrepreneurs, resolved to improve the limited and poor-quality cellular service in the country. “After two years of hard work and sound investments, the companies have now assembled an industry leading team of financial and technical partners. The granting of the license is the first step on the journey of realizing this vision,” it added, while noting that Green Gibraltar Inc., MHM Holdings GY, Inc., and their partners understand the desire of Guyana’s citizens and businesses to have an option to connect with the world in a professional and cost-effective manner.
As previously reported by Stabroek News, Green Gibraltar sought approval to install and operate a 5G telecommunications network in seven of the country’s regions.
In a notice published in last Wednesday’s edition of this newspaper, the Tele-communications Agency informed that the company has applied for the granting of an individual licence to operate a public telecommunications network and offer a public mobile tele-communications service in regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten. It has also applied for frequency authorisation to use spectrum and to install and operate radio communication equipment in the operating of the network and service. The Telecommuni-cations Agency has advised that any person who may have an interest in or be affected by the application for a frequency authorisation to make written submissions.
Phillips last month disclosed that government was close to awarding another telecoms licence for a 5G carrier, in apparent reference to the company.
According to records for Green Gibraltar that were seen by Sunday Stabroek, the company was incorporated here on June 26, 2019.
Jai Narine Singh Jr, better known as Don Singh, of 133 Church Street, Georgetown, and Rawlston Gangaram, of the same address, were listed as the company’s two directors
Singh and Gangaram held 50% interest each in the company, with one million one dollar ordinary shares. However, on Sep-tember 25, 2020, Gangaram transferred his shares to MHM Holdings Inc., of Lot B North Road, Lacy-town. (When this newspaper contacted Singh, he would only say that he was the Company Secretary and that he prefers to speak after negotiations are complete.)
At a meeting of the Board of Green Gibraltar Inc., which was held on May 20th of this year, David Mahmalji, of Lot B North Road Lacytown, was authorised “to execute and or sign any document and or make any application or submission on behalf of the company, Green Gibraltar.”
MHM Holdings, owned by Mahmalji, is a self-described development and investment group.
On its website, MHM Holdings, which says that with its partners it acquired 51% of Green Gibraltar Inc, has announced that a technical partner, Mobilise, of London, was engaged to design and assist in the telecom plan and that investment partners have been lined up.
The group identifies its partners as Bancroft Financial, LLC, which is an investment firm based in Dallas, Texas; Kobra Oil and Gas Services (K.O.G.S), a manufacturing, design, fabrication, repair, and maintenance company; and Mobilise.
Mahmalji, according to the website, is the MHM Holdings Managing Director and has a four-decade career in oil and gas, having previously worked with Hunt Oil Company (HOC) in various capacities. In addition to his career at HOC, the site says he served Hillwood Energy (Ross Perot) as country manager in Kurdistan, Iraq before becoming Managing Director at MHM Hold-ings. “His wife of 30 years is a Guyanese woman entrepreneur, (together they have 3 children with dual-US Guyanese citizenship). He has remained active in Guyana as a property owner with extensive governmental contacts, including strong personal and social relationships with many of Guyana’s leading families as well as long-term working relations with ExxonMobil, TOTAL & other in-country oil and services companies,” it adds.
