CASTRIES, St. Lucia (CMC):

Telecommunication ministers from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have given the green light for the establishment of a fund to help improve telecommunication services in the sub-region.

A statement issued yesterday at the end of an Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority meeting said the Universal Services Fund would be used to develop projects aimed at extending access to basic telecommunications services to all stakeholders.

The statement gave no indication of the size of the fund.

However, it noted that the ministers from Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts-Nevis and St Lucia had approved new regulations governing all interconnection agreements after September 30 next year, when the existing accord expires