Telkom expects higher revenues

Telkom expects higher revenues

JAKARTA (JP): State telecommunications firm PT Telkom
estimated that its total revenue would exceed Rp 3.69 trillion
(US$1.55 billion) in 1996.

The state-owned domestic telecommunication provider's revenue
reached Rp 3.69 trillion in the third quarter of 1996, Antara
quoted company financial director Harry Supangkat as saying in
Bandung yesterday.

Harry said that out of the total revenue Rp 1.99 trillion came
from telecommunications traffic, Rp 1.09 trillion from joint
operation contracts with five private firms and the remainder
from other telecommunications business.

In 1995, Telkom's operating revenue rose 26 percent to Rp 5.1
trillion over the previous year. The company's net profit was Rp
907 billion in 1995, up 14 percent from Rp 795 billion in 1994.

Telkom, which listed its shares on the New York, London,
Jakarta and Surabaya stock exchanges in November 1995, expected
to gain significant growth in 1996, primarily supported by
continued domestic demand for telecommunications services and the
introduction of joint operation projects for the installation of
more than two million telephone lines by private firms in five
regions.

In 1995, Telkom signed 15-year joint operation contracts worth
$3 billion with five private firms, which include leading
overseas telecommunications firms such as Telstra of Australia,
NTT of Japan, France Telecom, US West of the United States and
Singapore Telecom.

The private firms include PT Pramindo Ikat Nusantara which
will be responsible for telephone network development in Sumatra,
PT Mitra Global Telekomunikasi Indonesia in Central Java, PT Daya
Mitra in Kalimantan and PT Bukaka Singtel in the country's
eastern region covering Sulawesi, Maluku, Irian Jaya and Nusa
Tenggara. (icn)