GSM-XL bills can be paid at BCA ATMs

JAKARTA (JP): PT Excelcomindo Pratama, which operates the GSM- XL cellular system, signed an agreement with Bank Central Asia (BCA) yesterday that allows its customers to pay their bills at the banks' Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).

Excelcomindo's president Y.W. Junardy said, after signing the agreement with BCA's director Andibuana Wangsadjaja, that the service became effective here yesterday following a series of trial operations.

"This is one of our efforts to improve services to our users," Junardy said.

Andi said BCA operated about 1,500 ATMs nationwide, more than half in Greater Jakarta.

"Users will have the chance to check their bills before paying through ATMs. This is the advantage over credit card direct debit," he said.

He said state-owned PT Telkom and other cellular phone operators had also signed similar agreements with BCA allowing subscribers to pay their bills through BCA's ATMs.

ATMs are open 24 hours a day so people will not necessarily have to queue to pay. But people still complained that this system of payment could cause double charges, analysts said.

Excelcomindo is the youngest of Indonesia's three global system for mobile communications (GSM) operators. The others are PT Telkomsel and PT Satelindo. Excelcomindo is owned by Nynex Corp of the United States, Mitsui of Japan, the Asian Infrastructure Fund and Indonesia's PT Telekomindo Prima Bhakti.

Excelcomindo, which operates in Greater Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali and Lombok, has some 75,000 customers. The company began operating in late 1996 and plans to enter Medan, North Sumatra, in September. (icn)