Premier positively estimates the process of telecommunication market liberalization

/INTERFAX-KAZAKHSTAN, Astana, March 3, 05/ - Kazakhstan prime- minister Daniyal Akhmetov has positively estimated the process of country's telecommunication market liberalization. On Thursday Akhmetov held conference on this matter, during which reports of State Informatization and communication agency (ICA) and Kazakhtelecom JSC were heard, press-service of government's head informed. "Summarizing results of the conference Daniyal Akhmetov positively estimated the work held by ICA concerned with decreasing of tariffs for international telephone connections by 20% and introduction of by the second billing of intercity communication with 10-second tariffing that let decrease expenses of subscribers for this type of services additionally in the average by 15%", - press-service says. It was noted during the conference that in order to develop competition on telecommunication market before ICA had introduced changes in Kazakhtelecom's license, which cancelled its exclusive right for rendering intercity and international communication services. The release says by this moment licenses for rendering these services had been given to KazTransCom JSC, Transtelecom JSC and Arna JSC. Besides, the release says, license commission of the state agency examines applications of Nursat JSC, Astel JSC and TNS plus LLP. Akhmetov, the release says, considers it necessary "to provide social guarantees for poor people so that rebalancing of tariffs doesn't influence upon their abilities to use telephone communication". According to state agency's data, the release says, for these purposes in the past year ICA made "current special-purpose transfers to regional budgets in the amount of 12 m. 561 th. tenge" (current 130.41/$1). Besides, the release says, in this year 205 m. 922 th. tenge are planned in the republican budget for paying compensations to housing benefits recipients, which are subscribers of city telecommunication networks. At present a shareholding consisting of 50% and one share of the company belongs to Kazakhstan government. Other big shareholders of Kazakhtelecom are Central Asian Investment Holdings N.V., which owns 30.05% of company's shares, and Bank of New York - 6.73%. Other shareholders - over 13%. [2005-03-04]