'Should I stop talking to my husband?'

'Should I stop talking to my husband?'

The government's recent decision to raise local telephone rates
by up to 28 percent has met criticism from experts and monopoly
watchdogs. They said the hike would favor the state-owned
telecommunications firm PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom). The
Jakarta Post talked to some residents about the issue.

Lusy, 32, works in a private company located in Tebet, South
Jakarta. She lives in Depok with two children. Her husband works
in Yogyakarta:

This new phone tariff is really a burden for me because I
often make long-distance calls to my husband.

This month alone, I had to pay Rp 180,000 (US$21) in phone
bills. As we don't earn much from our jobs, we have to limit our
phone use. Sometimes, to avoid the costs, I call my husband using
the office telephones at work -- furtively of course.

If the government increases the phone rate again, I will have
to reduce the amount of times I call my husband.

Diana Yunita Sari, 27, is a journalist for a health tabloid
located in Palmerah, Central Jakarta. She lives with her family
in Depok, South Jakarta:

I don't use the telephone much at home, since I spend most of
my time at the office. However, I am worried about this rate hike
because I am the one who pays the phone bills at home.

Our bill is quite expensive already although I, my father and
brother rarely use the phone. Imagine the rate I'll have to pay
now.

I don't know why the government has decided to increase the
rate. Haven't they already increased it few times recently? It's
just bad timing. The country's economy has not recovered yet.

--The Jakarta Post