H.E. Mr Mothetjoa METSING Minister of Communications, Science and Technology a mandate to regulate the communications sector in Lesotho. The legislation gave the Authority the man-date to: issue licences to operators; promote fair com-petition; approve tariffs; manage the radio frequency spectrum; empower and protect consumers; type-ap-prove terminal equipment and handle other related matters. Since then, the communications sector in Lesotho has developed rapidly in terms of network coverage, increased variety of services being offered and in the number of people having access to commu-nications Chairperson, Honourable Ministers and Heads of Delegation, services. The government also privatised the Excellencies, incumbent telecommunication entity which had hith-erto also acted as a regulator of radio frequency spec-trum through disposal of seventy percent (70%) ma-jority shareholding. The above policy interventions and Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honour for me to address this confer-ence decisions were aimed at accelerating socio-economic development of Lesotho using the communications sector as one of the key drivers. on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Chairperson, Lesotho. On behalf of my delegation, I wish to thank our host and the people of Mexico at large for their great warmth and splendid organisation of this great conference. I also wish to acknowledge the able leader-ship It is gratifying to note that the above policy inter-ventions yielded desired results in market competi-tion, diversity in services and products in telecom-munications, broadcasting and Internet services. As of the ITU Secretary General, Dr Hamadoun Toure, at present, the number of subscribers per every 100 people in the population, commonly referred to as tele-density has grown from 1% in 2000 to around 50% as at present. Private and commercial broadcast-ing and his team during the past four years in steering the business of the Union. Lesotho remains a proud member of ITU and at-tributes most of its successes in the communica-tions now dominate the broadcasting sub-sector along-side state broadcasting which is being developed into sector over the past years to its association with ITU. In 1999, the government of Lesotho adopted a Telecommunications Policy that ushered in the liber-alisation public service broadcasting. Consumers have, over the years, enjoyed continued reduction in prices of communications services with improved quality. Rapid uptake of services in rural and outlying areas has been observed alongside creation of of the communications sector. Consequent thereto, in June 2000, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Lesotho passed a piece of legislation which estab-lished the Lesotho Communications Authority with 114