Mastel urges government to form regulatory committee<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Information and
\nTelecommunications Society (Mastel) urged the government on
\nMonday to immediately establish an independent regulatory
\ncommittee for the telecommunications sector in light of more open
\ncompetition in the near future.<\/p>\n
Sutrisman, a senior executive at Mastel, said the open
\ncompetition, as a consequence of the new telecommunications law
\nwhich took effect in September, would inevitably create friction
\namong competing operators.<\/p>\n
\"An independent committee is needed to issue regulations that
\nwill solve these problems between operators,\" he said in a
\ndiscussion.<\/p>\n
Sutrisman said a regulatory committee could determine who
\ncould join the competition so that no single majority would
\nmonopolize the market.<\/p>\n
\"Operators need a level playing field so that competition runs
\nfairly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mastel chairman Sukarno Abdulrachman said even if a committee
\nwas established now, its benefit would only be felt in another
\nfew years.<\/p>\n
\"So it is imminent that we establish one now if we don't want
\nto miss the train,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The director-general of post and telecommunications, Sasmito
\nDirdjo, agreed that an independent regulatory committee was
\nneeded.<\/p>\n
Sasmito said Indonesia had fallen behind other countries in
\nthe telecommunications sector, and needed heavy investments to
\nkeep up.<\/p>\n
\"The country needs a transparent and predictable regulator
\nthat is good for investment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the role of the committee would not overlap or even
\novershadow the role of the directorate, as his office would only
\ndeal with government policies while the committee would regulate,
\nmonitor and control the competition.<\/p>\n
The committee's duties would include regulating
\ntelecommunications rates and issuing permits, Sasmito said.<\/p>\n
\"It should also have the power to punish and revoke permits,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
The committee would comprise a chairman, a vice chairman and
\nfive members, Sasmito said, adding that a secretariat should also
\nbe formed to help with day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n
Sasmito said, however, that an independent committee did not
\nmean it was separate or not responsible to the government.<\/p>\n
He said the committee's members could be appointed by the
\ngovernment with acknowledgement from the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, members would technically be civil servants, but
\nanother problem would be how much to pay them as obviously a
\ncivil servant's pay would not be enough,\" Sasmito said.<\/p>\n
The deputy of the state minister for administrative reform,
\nJ.B. Kristiadi, said only the secretariat should be made up of
\ncivil servants, while the committee should be run by people from
\nthe private sector. (tnt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mastel-urges-government-to-form-regulatory-committee-1447893297",
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