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