Tariff adjustment should not be confused with price rises, Moldtelecom

The decision to adjust the tariffs on fixed-line telephone services is based on an extensive analysis and represents a conscious and justified move from economic and social viewpoints, SA Moldtelecom says in a statement issued in reaction to the accusations made by representatives of 25 associations and organizations of Moldovans abroad, which said the telecoms carrier made use of an alleged request made by the Diaspora, Info-Prim Neo reports. The administration of Moldtelecom explains that the decisions to adjust the tariffs are not taken on the basis of applications of formal or informal organizations, specifying that they received no letter from organizations working outside Moldova’s borders. The telecoms carrier says this is a matter of tariff adjustment, not price rise. “The adjustment of the tariffs to the real prices is aimed at avoiding cross subsidization, when the losses in the national telephone networks are covered with extra profits from international outgoing telephone calls,” it is said in the statement. SA Moldtelecom also says that as a result of the adjustment of the tariffs on fixed-line telephone services, some of the tariffs will decrease. The price of a minute of national calls will be reduced two times, while of a minute of international outgoing calls - 2-3 times. There will be launched a number of network services that were earlier provided for payment. On February 15, the Diaspora made approaches to the authorities and prosecution bodies, asking that they annul Moldtelecom’s decision to increase the tariffs on national phone conversations from March 1.