Infrastructure Ministry postpones telecoms operators' fee installments

The Infrastructure Ministry has decided to postpone the deadline for local telecom operators to pay a combined zl.400 million in license fees, primarily due to the operators' difficult financial conditions. Installments due in November and December have been postponed to January 20, 2002. The main portion of the fees was to be paid by the three biggest local telecom operators, Netia, Telefonia Lokalna and El-Net, each of whom holds licenses for several of Poland's former 49 regions. "The development of independent telecom operators is not only in [the government's] own interest but also of the telecom market as a whole. [Failure to postpone the payment] could even lead to their bankruptcy which would also mean a loss for the state budget," said Infrastructure Ministry spokeswoman Paulina Jankowska. The local operators still have some zl.1.45 billion left to pay in license fees, but they are now asking to be allowed to exchange the fees into infrastructure investment obligations of equal value. They argue that, starting next year, any new operator will be able to enter the local telecom market, paying a fee of just euro 2500. (Puls Biznesu, p. 4) T.J.