Currently, call rates between fixed telephones vary from Bt3 per time to the maximum Bt18 per minute, according to the distance between the locations.

Montree said TOT must serve as the main telecom pillar of the country.

The fixed-telephone business has experienced declining popularity due to the fierce competition from cellular services.

In a separate matter, Montree added that the board had appointed five committees. They will be responsible respectively for financial management and the budget, risk management, concession contracts, evaluation of the president and deputy president, and the internal audit. The latter committee will coordinate them all.

The chairman suggested the internal audit committee should consult with the audit committee of the Finance Ministry or an outside independent entity in order to adopt the same standards and to promote transparency.

If the audit committee finds corrupt practices in TOT, the case will be submitted for the examination of the National Counter Corruption Commission, he added.

If the case is on the doubtful level, the Council for National Security will be asked to help investigate the case, Montree said.

"This will give a good opportunity for the TOT executives to prove their transparency and honesty. If not, TOT will always face allegations of favouritism and corruption," he said.

The concession committee will examine all 64 concession contracts of TOT to see if they have any problems, he added.

Major cellular operators Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Move jointly asked the National Telecommunications Commission to look into their allegation that TOT had supported its cellular concessionaire Advanced Info Service (AIS) in deterring fair competition.

They cited a case that in 2001 TOT allowed AIS to share the revenue from the prepaid call service at a flat rate of 20 per cent throughout the remaining period of the contract, which will end in 2015.

Under the original contract, AIS had to share such revenue with TOT on an incremental basis, starting from 15 per cent to the maximum 30 per cent.

AIS argued that TOT granted permission after TOT allowed DTAC to pay the access charge of its prepaid call service to TOT at the rate of 18 per cent monthly, a change from Bt178 per user per month. Permission was given in the same year, 2001.

The access charge is paid by all cellular concessionaires of CAT Telecom to TOT for connecting different networks via TOT's facilities.

Meanwhile, Montree said that the board would call three candidates for TOT's president post for an interview next Friday. They are TOT's senior executive vice president Somkual Bruminhent, Wichien Naksrinual and chief financial officer Chatri Sahavejjabhand. Then the board will give a grade to the candidates in secret.

TOT has operated without a president since May when the old board removed Teerawit Charuwat from the post, citing his failure to achieve business goals.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation