DUSHANBE, July 27, Asia-Plus — If order 4 “A” is canceled, subscribers of Tajik Telecom, Tajikistan’s national fixed-line telecommunications provider, will have to pay for calls to mobile phones at the rate of 12 dirams per minute, Deputy Transport and Communications Minister, Beg Zuhurov, who supervises the communications sector, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  

“I am sure that introduction of the CPP (calling party pays) model will lead to discontent in society,” said Zuhurov, “Ordinary people cannot afford to pay for calls at such rate.” 

 Calling Party Pays (CPP) is the arrangement in which the mobile subscriber does not pay for incoming calls. Instead, the calling party pays for those calls. 

“The point is that the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade protects interests of operators, while we protect interests of peoples,” said the deputy minister, “The question is not of problems of personal relationships problems.  This difference should be resolved at the level of government.  If the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade wants to cancel the order by just way, it can launch claim.”   

 Noting incorrectness of cancellation of order 4 “A”, Zuhurov cited Russia as an example.  According to him, cancellation of similar order and introduction of the CPP model in Russia, where an average monthly wage amounts to $500, have led to increase of price of one minute of call from fix-line phone to mobile phone up to 15 dirams.  “In Tajikistan, where an average monthly wage is only $50, with introduction of the CPP model, fixed-line subscribers will have to pay for calls to mobile phone at the rate of 12 dirams per minute,” said the deputy minister, “This model is profitable only for mobile subscribers.”

According to him, another problem is that representatives from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade have not precisely motivated the reason for canceling the order 4 “A”.  “To resolve this issue it is necessary to set up a competent commission,” Zuhurov said.    

On statement of Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister, Amonullo Ashour, that he will file suit against him, Beg Zuhurov said that Ashour will scarcely bring the case to court “There are at least 20 witnesses of our disagreements, who saw what actually happened,” he said.  

We will recall that the First Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister, Amonullo Ashour, told a July 26 news conference in Dushanbe that the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) had managed to convince the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) that order 4 A“ issued by the former Ministry of Communications is illegal.  According to him, a special meeting on this subject with participation of representatives from a MEDT and cellular providers was held at a MoTC on July 26.  “I have formed the impression that Deputy Transport and Communications Minister, Beg Zuhurov, who supervises the communications sector, is not well aware of antimonopoly rules and law regulating the communications sector,” said Ashour, “Besides, he cannot behave himself properly.”  According to some sources, Ashour is going to file suit against Beg Zuhurov, accusing the latter of insulting him and abasing his honor and dignity     

As it had been reported earlier, MEDT accuses Tajik telecom, the state-owned national telecommunications operator of Tajikistan, and the former Ministry of Communications of violating the country’s antimonopoly legislation. 

According to the MEDT, a February 6, 2006 ruling by the former Ministry of Communications has created unequal opportunities for electrical communications operators through setting unfoundedly high rates for some of them and unfoundedly low rates for others.

A June 20 meeting at the MEDT on this subject noted that study of the materials had revealed violation of the antimonopoly legislation.  It was established that Tajik Telecom had set favorable rates for operators in which it owns share stakes -- closed joint-stock company (CJSC) TT-Mobile (MLT) and TK-Mobile.