Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb yesterday presented the newly appointed Director of Telecommunications to the Press.

Gregg Swan, 42, from Somerset, took up the post on Monday, and took up his first official duties beside Ms Webb at a press conference at the Cabinet Office.

Mr. Swan will head up the Telecommunications department, which is being split from E-commerce, and will report directly to Ms Webb.

The job was advertised in January with a salary in the $100,000 region and the appointment made at the beginning of May.

Mr. Swan has a distinguished career in engineering and has been taken on after successfully heading up the Government's Y2K department.

He was seconded from BELCO to manage the Government's Year 2000 programme. Mr.

Swan replaces Ted Pitman in the post.

Mr. Swan said: "My primary role is to support the minister and to take care of the day-to-day operations.'' The way ahead: Minister of Telecommunications and E-commerce Renee Webb and her new Director of Telecoms Gregg Swan announce radical new changes, which could see the cost of long distance calls slashed.