Decision No. 20/2003/QD-BBCVT On the issuance of long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication tariffs (Public Switched Telephone Network - PSTN)

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the issuance of long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication rates (Public Switched Telephone Network - PSTN)

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THE MINISTER OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pursuant to Decree No. 90/2002/NĐ-CP dated November 11, 2002 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications;

Pursuant to Decision No. 99/1998/QĐ-TTg dated May 26, 1998 of the Prime Minister on price and postal and telecommunications tariff management;

Pursuant to Circular No. 03/1999/TT-TCBĐ dated May 11, 1999 of the General Post Office Administration guiding the implementation of Decree No. 109/1997/NĐ-CP dated November 12, 1997 of the Government on postal services and telecommunications and Decision No. 99/1998/QĐ-TTg dated May 26, 1998 of the Prime Minister on price and rate management for postal and telecommunications services;

Pursuant to the letter No. 32/CP-KTTH dated January 10, 2003 of the Government adjusting long-distance inter-provincial telephone rates;

After reaching consensus with the Ministry of Finance (letter No. 60/BVGCP-CNTDDV dated January 30, 2003);

At the proposal of the Director of the Planning and Finance Department.

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication refers to communication between telephones not located within the administrative boundaries of the same province or centrally governed city.

Article 2. Units of time for calculating long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication rates:

1. Communication at the subscriber's residence:

a) Direct dialing:

- The unit of time for calculating long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication rates is minutes.

- Any fractional part of the final minute of a call that is less than one minute is counted as one minute.

- A call lasting less than one minute is counted as one minute.

b) Communication through an operator:

- The minimum duration of a call is three minutes, and any call shorter than three minutes is counted as three minutes.

- Time beyond the first three minutes is calculated in minutes. Any fractional part of the final minute that is less than one minute is counted as one minute.

2. Communication at public points (Post offices, Agents, Rural Post and Culture Centers, card phone booths):

- The unit of time for calculating long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication rates is minutes.

- Any fractional part of the final minute of a call that is less than one minute is counted as one minute.

- A call lasting less than one minute is counted as one minute.

Article 3. Rates for long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication:

1. At the subscriber's residence:

a) Communication rates:

Unit of calculation: dong/minute

* Specifically, for the old Zone 1 (as per Decision No. 814/2000/QĐ-TCBĐ), including routes: Hanoi - Ha Tay, Bac Ninh - Bac Giang, Nam Dinh - Thai Binh, Ben Tre - Tien Giang and vice versa, the rate is 636 dong/minute.

b) Other rate areas are defined in the Appendix attached to this Decision.

c) Communication from 23:00 on the previous day until 07:00 on the following morning, from Monday to Saturday, holidays, and Sundays is reduced by 30%.

2. Long-distance inter-provincial telephone communication at public points:

- In addition to the rates specified in point a, clause 1 of this Article, an additional charge of 454 dong per call is applied.

- Reductions in rates for calls outside peak hours, holidays, and Sundays are determined by enterprises themselves. The reduction shall not exceed 30% of the rate specified in point a, clause 1 of this Article.

Article 4. Long-distance inter-provincial communication rates for fax subscribers and data transmission subscribers within standard telephone bands (data transmission over telephone lines) are applied according to the provisions of Articles 1, 2, and 3.

Article 5. Special service rates:

1. Invitation to call (outgoing): each invitation costs 1,818 dong.

2. Self-scheduled incoming call: each call costs 1,364 dong.

Article 6. The rates prescribed in this Decision do not include value-added tax. This Decision takes effect from March 1, 2003. All previous regulations conflicting with this Decision are hereby abolished.

Article 7. The Head of the Office, the Director of the Planning and Finance Department, Heads of units under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, telecommunications service providers, and related units are responsible for implementing this Decision./.