Conference on Decision of the Royal Government of Cambodia on Regulation of Telephone Services
In that occasion, His Excellency mentioned four main reasons for setting minimum prices for calls, which are (1) to prevent unfair competitions; (2) to guarantee the quality of services; (3) to make the basic price more proper; and (4) to ensure stability of the state’s income as the revenue from telecommunication sector has been decreasing for the last 5 years.
His Excellency Mr. PRAK SOKHON continued that the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has worked on this regulation to set the minimum price for call in order to prevent unfair competitions as well as to ensure long term interests of the customers, the phone companies and the investors, adding the decision of the Royal Government of Cambodia on the regulations of telephone services is to allow for implementation of the Inter-MinisterialPrakas232 between Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and Ministry of Economy and Finance.
It is announced that all mobile phone companies are not allowed to offer any bonus that leads to calling rate within network lower than 4.5 cents per minute and across network 5.95 cents per minute.
It should be reminded that on November 21, 2013 the Council of Ministers approved the Inter-Ministerial Prakas232 between Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and Ministry of Economy and Finance, by restricting all the mobile phone companies operating in the Kingdom of Cambodia not to charge or offer any bonus that leads to calling rate within network lower than 4.5 cents per minute.
However, His Excellency also confirmed that this is just a temporary action because the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications will have to have more meetings with national and international experts in the future in order to determine a clear policy.
His Excellency Mr.CHOUVichith, Secretary of State of Ministry of Economy and Finance, revealed the figures of sim cards (numbers of Phone) in Cambodia have increased every year, starting approximately from 3.8 million sim cards in 2008 to 19 million in 2012. However, as of November 2013, all tax revenue from telephone services is roughly low which cannot be balance with the increase of the number of phones.
