Telephone charges

Telephone charges
and public rights

From Media Indonesia

The government has approved a maximum increase of 28 percent
for local telephone calls and a minimum decrease of 10 percent
for long distance calls.

Previously, the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Board
recommended that the minister of communications allow a maximum
rise in fixed telephone charges of only 15 percent this year.

In any case, I would like to point out that PT Telkom, as the
holder of a monopoly over fixed-line services, should not raise
telephone charges as it booked a profit of around Rp 8 trillion
in 2003.

In addition, the telephone charge increase means that the
government is giving priority to the demands of the operator
(Telkom) rather than the rights of the public to the operator's
services.

The public's right to the company's services involves not only
long-distance services but also local telephone connections. It
is in fact unnecessary to increase charges as telephone users
already pay monthly fees for the service.

HERU SUTADI
Depok, West Java