Decision No. 26/2006/QD-BBCVT dated July 25, 2007 of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications promulgating charges for inter¬provincial long-distance telephone services provided by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group

DECISION

PROMULGATING CHARGES FOR INTER­PROVINCIAL LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE VIETNAM POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS GROUP

THE MINISTER OF POST AND TELEMATICS

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 90/2002/ ND-CP of November 11, 2002, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Post and Telematics;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Decision No. 217/ 2003/QD-TTg of October 27,2003, on management of post and telecommunications service charges;

At the proposal of the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation (now the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group) in Official Letter No. 1818/GCTT of April 6, 2006, requesting the adjustment of levels of, and methods of calculating, long-distance telephone charges;

At the proposal of the director of the Finance­Planning Department;

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To promulgate charges for interprovincial long-distance telephone services provided by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group at subscriber homes as follows:

1. The scope of inter-provincial long-distance telephone dialing covers dialing between telephone sets installed not in the same administrative territory of a province or centrally run city.

2. Communication charge levels:

2.1. For PSTN inter-provincial long-distance telephone services:

- The maximum charge level: VND 1,636/minute;

- The minimum charge level: VND gag/minute.

2.2. For 64 Kbps NGN inter-provincial long-distance telephone services using prepaid cards, postpaid inter­provincial long-distance IP telephone (VoIP) services, inter-provincial long-distance IP telephone (VoIP) services using prepaid cards, and 8 Kbps NGN inter­provincial long-distance telephone services using prepaid cards:

- The maximum charge level shall not be higher than PSTN inter-provincial telephone service charge level applicable to the same zone at the corresponding time.

- The minimum charge level shall not be lower by 20% than PSTN inter-provincial telephone service charge level applicable to the same zone at the corresponding time.

3. Charge calculation method:

Inter-provincial long-distance telephone service charges shall be calculated according to the first charge calculation unit and subsequent charge calculation units, provided that the first charge calculation unit shall not be smaller than 6-second block and the subsequent charge calculation unit shall not be smaller than 1-second block.

4. The levels of inter-provincial long-distance telephone service charges for facsimile subscribers and data transmission subscribers in the standard voice band (data transmission through subscribed telephone lines) shall be as the same as the charge levels for equivalent inter-provincial long-distance telephone services specified in Clauses 1, 2 and 3, Article 1 of this Decision.

Article 2.- For public phone boxes, apart from the service charge levels specified in Article 1 of this Decision, enterprises may also collect a service charge which is non-discriminatory between services of relevant service-providing enterprises.

Article 3.- The charge levels specified in Article 1 of this Decision are exclusive of value added tax.

Article 4.- The Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group shall:

1. Base itself on the provisions of Articles 1 , 2 and 3 of this Decision to set specific charge levels and charge calculation methods for inter-provincial long­distance telephone services. When issuing decisions on specific charge levels and charge calculation methods according to its competence, the Group shall notify the Ministry of Post and Telematics thereof 10 days before these decisions take effect.

2. Provide for the reduction of charges for using PSTN inter-provincial telephone services, 64 Kbps NGN services with prepaid cards, postpaid inter­provinciallP telephone (VoIP) services, inter-provincial IP telephone (VoIP) services with prepaid cards, and 8 Kbps NGN inter-provincial telephone services with prepaid cards on holidays and Sundays, and from 23:00 hrs of the previous day to 7:00 hrs of the following day from Monday thru Saturday, provided that the reduction level shall not exceed 30% of the charge levels applicable at the corresponding time.

Article 5.- The provisions of this Decision shall apply to users of inter-provincial long-distance telephone services provided by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group.

Article 6.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO." All previous regulations contrary to this Decision are hereby annulled.

Article 7.- The director of the Office, the director of the Finance-Planning Department and heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Post and Telematics, the general director of Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group, and concerned units shall have to implement this Decision.