Bureaucrat to chair new telecom watchdog

Bureaucrat to chair new telecom watchdog

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The director general of telecommunications has appointed himself
head of an "independent" regulatory body to supervise and settle
disputes in the telecommunications industry after criticisms of
bias by the directorate.

Ministry of Transportation (which covers telecommunications)
post and telecommunications director general Djamhari Sirat told
The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that the agency would be launched
in the third quarter of the year and "is to be headed by myself".

Djamhari is also a commissioner at PT Telkom.

"The nature of the agency is an independent institution, which
is capable of being fair in solving disputes in the
telecommunications sector."

Djamhari said he would chair the agency because the scope of
work was related to the affairs handled by his office.

Telecommunications industry expert Roy Suryo said any decision
to appoint a bureaucrat as the head of the agency was a backward
step for the country's telecommunications industry.

Roy said Djamhari had violated Law No. 36/1999 on
Telecommunications which stated, in article 5, that to ensure
fair practices the independent regulatory agency should consist
only of telecommunications associations and experts.

The appointment of chairman should be based on recommendations
from associations and experts, not by the government.

Roy doubted Djamhari could perform independently as he was
still a commissioner at state-owned telecommunications giant PT
Telkom.

"Just imagine what will happen if there is a dispute between
Telkom and Indosat (another state-owned telecommunications firm).
Who will guarantee that Djamhari, as a commissioner of Telkom,
can solve the dispute fairly?" Roy said.

Telecommunications players have long demanded the government
form an independent regulatory body as stipulated in the
Telecommunications Law.

Analysts say the new agency is needed as the directorate
general has failed to be independent.

The body was also needed to supervise the country's
telecommunications sector, which is set to be fully liberalized
in 2003. Telkom and Indosat will be able to enter the local, long
distance and international call markets.