RI won't change stand at WTO's telecom talks<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will not change its stand in the final
\nround of the telecommunications negotiating group of the World
\nTrade Organization (WTO), scheduled to be begin in Geneva on
\nFriday, a senior official has said.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
\nTelecommunications, Jonathan L. Parapak, said Indonesian
\ntelecommunications policy would not be changed.<\/p>\n
Indonesia would deliver its current policies and regulations
\non telecommunications in the meeting, he said, and not make any
\nnew announcements.<\/p>\n
"I can't unveil the detail of our tabling yet as we still have
\nto coordinate when we arrive there. We'll leave for Geneva on
\nWednesday night," Parapak told The Jakarta Post during a break in
\na hearing at the House of Representatives between Minister of
\nTourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave and the Commission
\nV on tourism, post and telecommunications, public works and
\nhousing.<\/p>\n
"We will just deliver the basic telecommunications conditions
\nin Indonesia including local, long distance and international
\ntelecommunications, data switching, telex, telegraphs and
\ncellular. This will be a comprehensive report," said Parapak, who
\nis to represent Indonesia at the negotiating group.<\/p>\n
A number of nations have been waiting for Indonesia to deliver
\nits position on telecommunications liberalization.<\/p>\n
The deadline for an accord of the telecommunications pact is
\nFeb. 15, postponed from its original schedule of April 30, 1996.
\nLiberalization will take effect on Jan. 1, 1998. The WTO
\nestimates the world telecommunications market amounts to some
\nUS$512 billion per year.<\/p>\n
Telecommunications is one of three major issues of service
\nderegulation being sought through the WTO, in addition to
\nfinancial services and maritime transport.<\/p>\n
Indonesia licenses five private joint ventures to install and
\nmanage telecommunications networks in five operational regions of
\nthe country, under a 15-year joint operation contracts until
\n2010. Leading world-class telecommunications operators
\nparticipate in the joint operation projects including France
\nTelecom, West Inc., Telstra of Australia, NTT of Japan, Cable and
\nWireless of Britain and Singapore Telecom.<\/p>\n
"Many developed countries were surprised when Indonesia
\nintroduced the joint operation projects, involving overseas
\nworld-class telecommunications operators," Minister Joop said
\nrecently. "I also believe that the foreign operators involved in
\nthis projects have their own interests."<\/p>\n
"Welcome to the most open telecommunications industry in the
\nworld," he said, referring to Indonesia's allowance of foreign
\ninvestment in the telecommunications industry.<\/p>\n
In the cellular mobile telephone industry, Indonesia had also
\nallowed operators to be partly owned by foreign firms like
\nDeTeMobil of Germany, Dutch PTT Telecom Netherlands and Nynex of
\nthe United States and Mitsui of Japan. (icn)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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