Telkom raises call rates

JAKARTA (JP): State telecommunications company PT Telkom is to raise telephone rates for local and long-distance domestic calls from tomorrow.

Company vice president D. Amarudien said yesterday in Bandung that local call rates would be raised by 16 percent to Rp 145 (1.6 U.S. cents) per pulse and long-distance domestic call rates by 15.48 percent to Rp 112 per pulse.

One pulse is either 1.5, two or three minutes, depending on the distance and time period.

Amarudien also said rates for calls from card phones would be raised by 15.38 percent to Rp 150 per pulse.

He said the rates increase was based on a Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications's decree of Feb. 24, 1998.

"The rates will be reviewed after six months," he said (43/jsk)