Adjustment of Moldtelecom tariffs will lead to liberalization of fixed phone market and price reductions
The program to adjust the tariffs on the fixed-line phone services used by SA Moldtelecom in 2011 will mark the launch of the final phase of the telecommunications market liberalization, director general of SA Moldtelecom Vitalie Iurcu said in reply to a related request made by civil society and companies. He also said the main effects of tariff adjustment will be a twofold decrease in the price of a minute of national conversations and a 3.5-time decrease in the price of a minute of international conversations. There will be reviewed the prices of the monthly subscriptions, including by introducing subscriptions that contain an unlimited number of free national minutes, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the company’s press service.
Recently, the National Association of Private ICT Companies and 11 communities of Moldovans abroad asked continuing the process of liberalizing the fixed-line phone market, including decreasing the tariffs on outgoing international calls.
“SA Moldtelecom, as a market leader, bears major responsibility for ensuring the security and development of the fixed phone market. If the tariffs are adjusted, even if with delay, this will be as stimulus to the development of the fixed phone market. There will be also made a series of modifications in the tariff policy. The tariffs on the international calls to the most popular destinations will be reduced 2-3 times,” Vitalie Iurcu said. He added that the calls with Romania will decrease in price about 2.5 times, with Israel – about three times, with Russia – over 1.5 times. The tariffs on national calls outside prime time will be reduced about two times.
The discussions on tariff adjustment were initiated in 2001 as a result of consultations with the World Bank. The first stage of adjusting the telephone charges was started on February 1, 2003. The second stage was launched on February 1, 2004. The tariff policy of SA Moldtelecom was modified during both of the stages.