Deadline for phone bill extended

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta division of state telecommunications company PT Telkom has extended the deadline for the payment of telephone bills from May 20 to May 31 because many banks and automatic teller machines were forced to close down business by last weeks rioting.

Guntur Siregar, head of the division, said that the extension was intended mainly to help customers in Greater Jakarta who had found it difficult to pay their bills.

"Customers will not be subject to the usual Rp 5,000 fine for late payment if they pay before the new deadline of May 31," Guntur explained.

Guntur said that over 10,000 line units in residential sites, office buildings and supermarkets were destroyed during the riots.

About 100 public telephones and 46 public telephone relay stations were also destroyed during the commotion, he said, most of which were located in buildings which were set on fire. (hhr)