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GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA 29.03.1999
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1.3.3 |
The costs to the environment and the operator can be reduced by the requirement that free itemization be provided only for calls costing above a certain threshold. The threshold is set at the approximate price of a three minute national call at the midpoint of the rate rebalancing process. In a country like Sri Lanka where the differential between local and national calling charges is small, it is more appropriate to mandate free provision of high value calls than free provision of national calls as is done by Lanka Bell at present.. |
| 1.3.4 |
The charge for itemized information falling outside the mandated parameters for free provision is a tariff. These tariffs must be approved per the relevant provisions of the Act and the licences. |
| 1.3.5 |
Given the concern that subscribers may abuse a provision that requires the free supply of complete itemized bills, a limit of three free bills per year is set per subscriber. |
| 1.3.64 |
The conditions shall come into effect depending on each operator's readiness to supply the service. SLTL will face some challenges in completing the transition to itemized billing. Therefore, SLTL is allowed to negotiate its specific implementation schedule with the Commission subject to the broad targets set in this Order. |
| 2.0 |
Time Based Charging ' |
| 2.1 |
The Committee of Inquiry orders that all fixed access operators move to time based charging as quickly as possible. The. Committee understands that Suntel and Lanka Bell are currently using time based charging. The transition to time based charging a tied to the introduction of itemized billing Therefore, the Committee does not impose a specific time table on SL.TL which currently operates on a pulse based system, but trusts that SLTL will act expeditiously to introduce this more modern form to its system. The Committee makes no ruling on the time unit for billing. Operators can make judgments on the appropriate billing unit based on their specific market and cost consideration. |
| 2.2. |
Reasons for Order re Time Based Charging
Billing is the most important form of communication between a subscriber and an operator. In a competitive market place, it assumes an increased importance. It is essential that subscribers must be able to understand the price signals communicated by the bill. The pulse based system fails in this regard. It is essential that the easier to understand time based system be introduced as quickly as possible. Operators may decide on the appropriate unit for charging. the Committee feels that short duration units are superior, but leaves that issues to the market place to decide. |
| 3.0 |
Format of Bills |
| 3.1 |
Subject to the Order re Itemized Billing Information, The committee orders the fixed access operators to improve the format of the bills presented to subscribers in the following manner |
| 3.1.1 |
Provide at a minimum the following information in columnar form in an itemized bill. The date of the (start of) the call ; start time ; duration of the call ; charging category and the charge for the call excluding taxes. |
| 3.1.2 |
The total charge must be presented in a summary sheet which should clearly indicate the applicable taxes and the rates and formulate of computation of such taxes. the charging categories and the rates must be clearly stated in the bill. |
| 3.1.3 |
Subscribers who so request must be provided the bill in Sinhala or Tamil within one year of the date of this order:' Symbols, if any, may be shown in English only,. but such symbols must be clearly explained in Sinhala and or Tamil. The default language of the bill may be English. An operator may choose to provide a single bill in all three official languages. |
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