DUSHANBE, November 16, Asia-Plus  -- With introduction of the CPP (Calling Party Pays) model outgoing call from fixed-line phones of open joint stock company (OKSC) Tojik Telecom (Tajikistan’s fixed-line telecommunications) network to other operators of electric coupling and mobile phones will cost 16.5 dirams per minute, Asia-Plus has learned at press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT).

Incoming calls from all operators, irrespective of forms of property, will be free of charge.

Calling Party Pays (CPP) is the arrangement in which the mobile subscriber does not pay for incoming calls. Instead, the calling party pays for those calls.

Call rate within the Tojik Telecom network will remain the same – 2 dirams per minute.  

As it had been reported earlier the CPP model will be introduced in Tajikistan beginning on December 1, 2007. 

We will recall that speaking to journalists on September 29, 2007, Ghafur Irkayev, the head of the Association of Cellular Operators of Tajikistan (ACOT), said that at first they supposed to introduce the CPP model on January 1, 2008 but then decided to bring introduction of the model forward.  According to him, the CCP model provides for increase in prices of fixed-line telecommunications and they decided to introduce it earlier, on December 1 this year, in order that it would not be sudden and could not effect budget forming.  

According to protocol of the interagency commission, operators will pay each other for the internetworking connection at the rate of 11.5 dirams per minute (including VAT).   

 Jaffar Rustamov, an official with Tojik Telecom, said on September 29 that present prices of one minute of conversation between cellular operators and Tojik Telecom fluctuate from 16 to 17 dirams.