High telephone rates

High telephone rates

From Neraca

When I was in the U.S. a few months ago, I made several
telephone calls to Indonesia by dialing direct at peak time. The
rate was only US$ 0.47 (Rp 1,120) per minute. The tariff set by
Indosat/Satelindo for the same distance in the opposite direction
is Rp.4,550 a minute.

Within the U.S. long distance calls covering half the country
during peak time are charged at $0.15 (Rp 350) a minute. Telkom
charges Rp.1,650 per minute for a Jakarta-Surabaya call.

There are many telephone companies in the U.S. and they are in
fair competition because there are no practices of monopoly,
protection and discrimination.

Are we really stupid here, unable to work efficiently, or is
it simply that a high-cost economy has taken root everywhere
resulting in there being no space for movement by anybody,
however clever?

It is only fitting the members of the House of Representatives
respond to this issue.

T.P. TANDANG

Sawangan, West Java