Govt installs BRTI members
Govt installs BRTI members
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Minister of Communications officially installed on Friday
the five members of the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory
Body (BRTI), the country's new telecommunications sector
watchdog.
Director General of Telecommunications Djamhari Sirat was
installed as chairman of the body.
The other four members are Koesmarihati, Soetjipto (both
telecommunications experts), Hery Nugroho (economist) and Suryadi
Azis (sociologist).
The BRTI officials will have a two-year mandate and can be
elected for a second time.
Hery said that the immediate focus of the BRTI was to campaign
for the government's plan to raise phone charges, saying that the
planned price hike was "theoretically acceptable," but the public
needed to be informed about it more clearly.
The government was supposed to increase phone charges later
this month, but this was canceled due to strong protest from the
public. Agum said last month that there would also be no tariff
hike in the early period of 2004, a move seen to help avoid
social unrest during the run-up to the general elections.
The House of Representatives had previously demanded that the
telecom watchdog should be operational before the government
raise phone charges.
BRTI, established in July 2003, will regulate and oversee
telecommunications services and networks, issue licenses, settle
disputes and set a benchmark for services. Therefore the body
should guarantee transparency, independence and fairness.
However, some experts have doubted the independence of BRTI.
The body was said to be less independent, given the presence of
Djamhari as chairman of the watchdog.
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Minister of Communications officially installed on Friday
the five members of the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory
Body (BRTI), the country's new telecommunications sector
watchdog.
Director General of Telecommunications Djamhari Sirat was
installed as chairman of the body.
The other four members are Koesmarihati, Soetjipto (both
telecommunications experts), Hery Nugroho (economist) and Suryadi
Azis (sociologist).
The BRTI officials will have a two-year mandate and can be
elected for a second time.
Hery said that the immediate focus of the BRTI was to campaign
for the government's plan to raise phone charges, saying that the
planned price hike was "theoretically acceptable," but the public
needed to be informed about it more clearly.
The government was supposed to increase phone charges later
this month, but this was canceled due to strong protest from the
public. Agum said last month that there would also be no tariff
hike in the early period of 2004, a move seen to help avoid
social unrest during the run-up to the general elections.
The House of Representatives had previously demanded that the
telecom watchdog should be operational before the government
raise phone charges.
BRTI, established in July 2003, will regulate and oversee
telecommunications services and networks, issue licenses, settle
disputes and set a benchmark for services. Therefore the body
should guarantee transparency, independence and fairness.
However, some experts have doubted the independence of BRTI.
The body was said to be less independent, given the presence of
Djamhari as chairman of the watchdog.