More costly city calls<\/p>\n
Although the number of people who own telephones is still low
\nin Indonesia as compared to many of its neighboring countries,
\nthis handy means of telecommunication is now regarded a standard
\nnecessity in middle-income bracket homes.<\/p>\n
Owning a telephones is nowadays considered appropriate even in
\nfamilies that one could regard as belonging to the less
\nprivileged groups of our society, and for a valid reason. Since
\nin this modern age, they too must compete to secure a living, for
\nthem the telephone is often no less important than for any other
\nentrepreneur.<\/p>\n
The long lines of people who can be seen waiting on weekdays
\nfor a connection in front of telephone booths in Jakarta and in
\nmost provincial towns in this country supports the assumption
\nthat telephones have now come to be regarded as a necessity for a
\ngrowing number of people nationwide.<\/p>\n
Actually, such a development could have been expected long ago
\nas the rapid pace of economic and social development continues.
\nIn Jakarta and other big cities, a telephone connection is often
\nthe only way to contact another person at a given time. It also
\nalleviates the need for people to crowd onto buses, to fight the
\nendless traffic snarls and to find parking spaces. And as most
\nparents are now working, the telephone is a reassuring means to
\nconnect them with their children at home.<\/p>\n
Aware of this public need, the government has tried its best
\nto broaden the country's telecommunications network, while at the
\nsame time making serious efforts to improve the quality of the
\ntelephone company's service. Still, complaints are heard. For
\nyears, for example, people have been fretting about what they
\nperceive to be excessively high telephone bills.<\/p>\n
By nature, Indonesians are not complainers. On occasion,
\nhowever, and particularly as talk of mismanagement in many
\ngovernment agencies or state-owned companies circulate in the
\ncommunity, the burden is felt to be too heavy.<\/p>\n
In the electricity business, for example, customers have their
\npower cut off if they are a little late in paying their monthly
\nbills. On the other hand the state-owned electricity company PLN
\nnever seems to have paid much attention to complaints of low
\nvoltage, or of frequent unannounced blackouts, not to speak of
\noffering apologies for the inconvenience caused to customers.<\/p>\n
So far it seems that the public has largely been powerless in
\nfacing such manifestations of official arrogance. The House of
\nRepresentatives, as usual, appears reluctant to talk about it.
\nEven the Indonesian Consumers Agency has been mostly silent.<\/p>\n
To get back to our telephone system, we greatly appreciate the
\ncompany's efforts to make this modern means of communication
\navailable to as many people as possible, for example by lowering
\nthe installation fees. We also understand the government's desire
\nto get its investment in the telephone business back as soon as
\npossible.<\/p>\n
It is unfortunate, however, that the 10 percent increase in
\ntelephone charges for city calls, as announced by Minister of
\nTourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave recently, can so
\neasily give the impression that the cheaper installation costs
\nare merely bait to get more customers, in order to boost the
\ncompany's revenues. City calls, after all, are the kind of calls
\nmost people in the middle-class and lower-income groups make to
\ndo all kinds of transactions.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-costly-city-calls-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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