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