'Wartel' owners object to new policy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to halt the current
\nrevenue sharing scheme between state-owned PT Telkom and
\noperators of telecommunications kiosks, locally known as wartel,
\nhas received strong objections from businessmen.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Wartel Operators Association (APWI)
\nSriyanto Tjokro Sudarmo even threatened Telkom with calling on
\nall APWI members throughout the country to strike should the
\ngovernment decide to continue with the plan.<\/p>\n
According to Sriyanto, the current sharing system between
\nwartel operators and Telkom is unfavorable to the owners of the
\nkiosks.<\/p>\n
\"The new policy will lead customers to leave their wartel
\nsince operators will have to hike charges to customers in a bid
\nsimply to survive,\" he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
APWI has some 150,000 members nationwide, including 7,500 in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Director of Telecommunications Development Affairs at the
\nDirectorate General of Posts and Telecommunications Eman Sumantri
\nannounced on Tuesday that a wartel operator -- under the new
\nscheme -- would be treated the same as other Telkom customers,
\npay a fixed monthly subscription charge and Rp 184 for every
\ntelephone unit used.<\/p>\n
Under the current scheme, wartel owners do not have to pay a
\nbill similar to other Telkom customers, such as those who have
\nhousehold accounts.<\/p>\n
But Telkom takes 50 percent of revenue of up to Rp 1 million,
\n60 percent for revenue of between Rp 1 million and Rp 3 million,
\nand 77.5 percent of income more than Rp 3 million.<\/p>\n
Several wartel owners interviewed on Wednesday admitted to
\nbeing stunned by the government's plan. They insisted the idea
\nwould give them nothing and only harm their businesses.<\/p>\n
A wartel owner on Jl. K.S. Tubun in Central Jakarta, Abdul
\nKadir, 49, said the proposed scheme would force many operators,
\nparticularly small ones, to close down.<\/p>\n
\"On one side, we have to make our rate as low as possible to
\nattract customers. But on the other side, we still have to pay
\nemployees and electricity bills, which are mostly from the use of
\nair-conditioners,\" Abdul said.<\/p>\n
\"Wartel owners only get their revenue from marking up the
\nlength of a telephone unit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A wartel owner on Jl. Palmerah Barat in West Jakarta, Evi
\nHerida, 38, said the new policy would only benefit big
\ntelecommunications kiosks since they could offer lower rates.<\/p>\n
\"Consumers will no longer come to small wartel,\" Evi, who runs
\na four-booth kiosk, said.<\/p>\n
Another businessman, who runs several large wartel in the
\ncapital, Widyanto, 35, said he had yet to calculate whether the
\nnew policy was more profitable.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, the current system is preferable for the business,\"
\nWidyanto said.<\/p>\n
\"Today, it's unlikely for a wartel to go bankrupt because it's
\nonly a matter of time for the business to reach a breakeven
\npoint.\"<\/p>\n
Separately, chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation
\n(YLKI) Indah Suksmaningsih worried that the planned scheme would
\nburden customers.<\/p>\n
\"The public will be forced to use wartel applying a higher
\nrate compared to public street phones, because many of the public
\nfacilities are out of order,\" Indah said. (jaw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wartel-owners-object-to-new-policy-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}