Dionne Rose, Business Reporter

Phillip Paulwell, former minister of government, has set up his new company on Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew. - File

Phillip Paulwell has hung up his shingle as an international energy and technology consultant, the former Cabinet Minister has confirmed.

"Immediately after the (general) elections, I received a number of calls from a number of international organisations and I started thinking about going into the business," the former Commerce Energy and Technology minister told the Financial Gleaner this week.

His new company Communications Information Technology and Energy (CITE) was set up in October and operates from 69 Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew.

While a minister, Paulwell revolutionised the telecommunications market in Jamaica and skillfully negotiated the end of Cable and Wireless' monopoly at no cost to the country.

He now sells his services to mainly international organisations and governments, calling on the years of experience garnered as a government minister.

Partners

A lawyer by profession, Paulwell said the firm is a limited liability company, which has been established with other partners whom he refused to name.

However, he divulged that he was in partnership with Synco Technology, a Jamaican company, which offers services in information technology.

So far, Paulwell said, CITE has done work in telecommunications consultancy for companies in the region, and that the company was in negotiations to sign an energy project, focusing on renewable energy.

Paulwell said for now, the firm will be staying clear of selling its services in Jamaica.

"We are trying our best to stay away from doing business in Jamaica, largely because of the proximity to my recent position in government," he said.

"After a while, I do intend to assist Jamaican companies but it will have to be some reasonable time period before I do that."

For now, he is focussed on providing services to the region and Africa.

"They (Africa and the Caribbean) are very much aware that we were dramatically able to improve (telecommunication) access in Jamaica," he said.

"There are many African countries that have not crossed the digital divide. So, we are trying to provide services in those areas and, of course, to complete the work that I had started in the Caribbean."

Paulwell said through his firm he hopes to replicate some of his successes in Jamaica in other less developed countries to enable access to broadband technology.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com