Last update: 27.11.2024 14:15 (GMT+2)
EESTI TELEKOM
ANNOUNCEMENT
DISPUTE OF THE COMPETITION BOARD PRESCRIPTION
Proceeding from the Competition Act, Estonian Competition
Board made on April 24, 2001, an obligatory prescription to
Eesti Telefon to cancel the following rates for calls: the
rate per minute at peak hours of EEK 0.34, the rate per
minute at off-peak hours of EEK 0.28 and the rate per minute
at night time of EEK 0.14 in AS Eesti Telefon operator
network from April 1, 2001. The Competition Board prescribed
to exercise lower rates for aforementioned services from
April 1, 2001, proceeding from fair pricing, proportional
rate between increase in the prices and growth rate of CPI,
and acceptable ROE.
Eesti Telefon is of the opinion that the rates for calls in
Estonia from EEK 0.14 to EEK 0.34 per minute are cost-based
by base price. Eesti Telefon has followed the requirements of
the Telecommunications Act which requires an operator with
significant market power to establish cost-based prices and
prohibit cross-subsidizing. The cost accounting system of
Eesti Telefon has been audited by the internationally
acknowledged audit company KPMG, and it has been approved by
the Communication Board as well. Thereby, Eesti Telefon
disagrees with the prescription of the Competition Board and
disputed it in Court on May 23, 2001.
The Competition Board has composed a law-breaking record
which has been sent to the Administrative Court. In case of
conviction the maximum fine to Eesti Telefon is EEK 125.3 mln
or 5% of the company's net sales in 2000.
AS Eesti Telefon is a 100% subsidiary of AS Eesti Telekom.
Hille Võrk
Financial manager
6 272 460