Telkom lodges counter suit<\/p>\n
BANDUNG, West Java (JP): State-owned telecommunications
\ncompany PT Telkom will lodge a counter complaint on Aug. 29
\nagainst its joint operation partner PT AriaWest International, a
\nsenior executive revealed on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Telkom vice president for corporate communications Eddy
\nPraptono said that the complaint, to be filed at the
\nInternational Chamber of Commerce (ICC), was filed in response to
\nsimilar action taken by AriaWest against Telkom in May.<\/p>\n
AriaWest, which operates telephone services in the regions of
\nWest Java and Banten, lodged a complaint with the ICC demanding
\nUS$1.3 billion for losses incurred through Telkom's alleged
\nbreaches of the joint operation scheme (KSO) agreement.<\/p>\n
Eddy declined to state Telkom's demands as the document was
\nstill being drafted by the company's special team handling the
\nTelkom-AriaWest dispute.<\/p>\n
The protracted dispute between Telkom and AriaWest centers on
\nthe Telkom's buy-out price of AriaWest's assets and operations.<\/p>\n
The dispute has resulted in the degradation of
\ntelecommunications services in West Java and Bandung, as well as
\nthe neglect of Telkom's employees in the region who are managed
\nby AriaWest.<\/p>\n
Last month, Telkom was forced to bail out its employees in the
\ntwo provinces by disbursing Rp 19.2 billion (about US$2 million)
\nfor their July salaries.<\/p>\n
The money was also used for the payment of electricity bills
\namounting to Rp 1.3 billion and temporary operational costs, Eddy
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Time and time again we have invited AriaWest to a meeting to
\nresolve the operational dispute in West Java and Banten, but they
\n(AriaWest) have never accepted,\" he told The Jakarta Post, adding
\nthat the last time Telkom had extended an invitation to AriaWest
\nwas last Wednesday, with the aim of discussing operational funds
\nneeded for August.<\/p>\n
Eddy said that, regarding financial requirements for
\ntelecommunications services in the two provinces in August,
\nTelkom had so far agreed to pay Rp 8.6 billion for salary
\npurposes.<\/p>\n
\"Other costs for the basic operations of the regions are still
\nbeing discussed,\" he said, adding that the money would be
\ndisbursed within two or three days. (25\/tnt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/telkom-lodges-counter-suit-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}