by Abigail Kippins
Guyana Chronicle
March 8, 2001

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) telephone directory for 2001/2002 is ready and the company says distribution will commence next Monday.

The directories are free of charge and though customers may be familiar with the method of distribution, they are reminded that residential customers are required to present the paid telephone bill for February 1 in order to uplift their copies.

Eighty thousand copies were printed this year with some 12,000 additional listings, GT&T officials said.

At the launching of the directories yesterday at the company's head office, Brickdam, Georgetown, Ms Pamela Briggs, Director, Commercial Services, said each customer should have a directory in his/her possession.

Business places would be presented directories according to the number of telephone lines they have.

They are, however, required to present an official letter, bearing the company's letterhead, indicating their requirement.

She said on presentation of that letter, directories would be issued at the business office most convenient to the customers.

Customers in areas where there are no business offices can uplift their telephone directory wherever they pay their bills but as was done in past years, arrangements were made for directories to be issued at the GT&T exchanges countrywide.

She added that this year, an advisory would be issued informing customers of the times they can uplift the directories at the various exchanges.

The directories, which were printed in the United States, were produced by the Guyenterprise Advertising Agency while GT&T had the responsibility of providing the listings of the blue, white, pink, green, and yellow pages.

Mr Terrence Holder, GT&T Deputy General Manager, Public Communications, said the company is reasonably proud of the cover which is reflective of the future.

It exhibits the faces of six children representing the peoples of Guyana and the Guyana flag in the background.

Holder said the cover was designed with the election period in mind and the feeling that it would present a positive image for Guyanese.

He said the young children and the Flag of Guyana is an image of hope for Guyana's future and expressed the hope that those who use the directory would think positively whenever they look at the cover.

Features of the directory include a profile on Guyana compiled by Mr David Granger.

It includes information on the National Symbols/Location, Topography/Metrology, Population, Demography, Statehood, Government, Foreign Relations, the National Monuments/Museums, holidays and festivals, and the Communication media.

There is also information on Guyana's borders and some of the border problems the country and its neighbours encounter.

Getting in and around Georgetown would also be made a little easier with the two-page outline of the capital city and its day-to-day operations.

And there is an added feature on New Amsterdam, `A Town with a Rich History', which Holder said might prompt other executives into proposing that their particular towns be also featured in the directories.

He added that the information on Guyana would not only benefit students but the larger public and even overseas-based Guyanese who look forward to the directory to keep abreast with information about the country.

The directory is made up of the blue pages with the Government and Embassy listings, the white pages - residential listings, the pink pages - fax numbers, green pages - email, and the yellow pages - business listings.

With the recent introduction of the seven-digit system, GT&T managed to incorporate the new numbering system in the directory and the listings are also larger and brighter.

The 2001/2002 telephone directory project was launched last July at the Guyenterprise compound on Almond Street, Queenstown, Georgetown under the theme "Let them See You".