BTC publishes own directory

Staff Writer | Wednesday March 7, 2007 00:00

 

Countrywide distribution of the directory, which includes the 'controversial' Yellow Pages, began yesterday (Tuesday).

The 2007 directory was to be published by African Directory Services (ADS), but BTC terminated their five-year contract with the Namibian company last July.

A contented Vincent Seretse, Chief Executive Officer of BTC, said of their own production: 'It looks nice, feels nice and is easy to read.' Journalists attending the launch yesterday were in agreement.

'It marks the way we do things at BTC', the CEO said, adding that the 2007 directory was produced under extreme pressure to meet the deadline.

Seretse explained that BTC's decision to include the Yellow Pages was based on the rule of law after the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling that had earlier found in favour of AC Braby, long-time publishers of the BTC directory, who had resented loss of their 'traditional' contract.

The High Court of Appeal ruled that no one had exclusive rights to the Yellow Pages.
'Naturally,' Seretse said at the launch, 'we retain our right to continue calling our classified section the Yellow Pages.

'As a result of the outcome of the Court of Appeal, we anticipate that others may make use of those words in competing publications as some have done before.'

It is expected that the new directory will be posted on the Internet, although the project is still under construction.