Parliamentarians are indignant at the preserved monopolism of Kazakhtelecom JSC on the market and high tariffs on the mobile connection

/INTERFAX-KAZAKHSTAN, Astana, December 6, 06, title IRBIS/ - The number of deputies of majilis (lower chamber) of the parliament of Kazakhstan on Wednesday on the plenary session had expressed the indignation of the preserved monopoly position on the market of telecommunication of the national operator Kazakhtelecom JSC and high tariffs on mobile connection in the republic. "We have to ask a question: how did the government admitted that the operators of cell connection have the level of profitability more then 100%? How the government is admitting that with the presence of one operator of connection (GSM-900 standard - GSM Kazakhstan. - IF-K), where 49% belongs to Kazakhtelecom JSC, the third license is handing to the operator, which is affiliated with this company too (Kazakhtelecom JSC - IF-K)", - announced the parliamentarian Alikhan Baymenov, performing with the deputy's inquiry to the address of the government. "Can we wait the decrease of tariffs on the services of connection in such conditions?" - A.Baymenov is puzzled. He supposes "in the activity of Kazakhtelecom distinctly is observing the conflict of interests of government from one side and other shareholders from the other". "Government (...) can stay as a goal of activity of the company the receiving of income by the account of the population. At the same time other shareholders, of course, as any business - are fixing the first task - receiving of the maximal income. As the result we: our population and our business, - are paying for the services of connection and telecommunications more in comparison not only with those countries, which are comparable to us by the level of life, but more then in many developed countries", - noted the parliamentarian. By his opinion, Kazakhtelecom, monopoly owing the arterial networks "is not interested in developing of conscientious competition on the market." The colleague was supported by the chairman of committee of majilis of international affairs, defense and safety Seik Abdrakhmanov. "I would like that the apparatus (of majilis - IF-K) demanded the provision with the information, calculation of charges (of Kazakhtelecom - IF-K) - he stressed. With the inquiry about high tariffs on services of connection had also performed during the plenary session of the chamber the majilis-man Mikhail Troshikhin. In Kazakhstan currently are acting two operators of mobile connection of GSM standard Kar-Tel LLP (with trade marks K-Mobile and Beeline; controlling by Russian Vympelkom) and GSM Kazakhstan (with trade marks K'Cell and Activ; shareholders are Finnish-Swedish-Turkish FinTur and Kazakhtelecom JSC). As it is expected in the beginning of year 2007 the services in this standard will provide the third operator Mobile Telecom Service, which is creating by Kazakhtelecom JSC. Along with it the company Altel (daughter of Kazakhtelecom, trade marks Dalacom and PAThWORD) provides the service of mobile connection in CDMA standard. The population of Kazakhstan exceeds 15.3 m., the users of mobile connection are about 46/% of population. Kazakhtelecom JSC is the leading operator of connection in Kazakhstan, taking the dominating position on the native market of telecommunications. The shareholders with the stake of owing of shareholdings of Kazakhtelecom JSC are Kazakhstan holding of state assets management Samruk JSC (55.6%), BODAM B.V. (16.9%), The Bank of New York (10.2%), Сentral Аsian Industrial Holdings N.V. (9.6%). [2006-12-07]