President Ramos Horta Speaks Out Against Telcom Monopoly - Presidente Horta dehan Portugal Telcom Obriga Governu simu obsaun Monopoli

East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta called for an end to Portugal / Timor Telecom monopoly and to liberalise Timor Leste telecomunication market to invite one or two new operators to invest in the area of telecomunication. According to the East Timor First Foreign Minister under first Constitutional Government said that Portugal Telcom forced the East Timor government to accept the 17 year monopoly otherwise the it would have rejected to come to invest.

During last week visits to Suai and Atsabe the leading East Timor Diplomat came out with strong statement over the telecommunication operator after listened to his people's complaints.

In october 2007 this newspaper conducted a national opinion poll 36,918 respondents of which 98% want the Timor Leste Government to end the monopoly and free up the Telecomunications sector. The result of the poll were submitted to the President of the Republic, Prime Minister Office and Speaker of Parliament. Most of the people opinions are Timor Telecom is very expensive and very poor quality so they demand to the government to put pressure on Timor Telecom to reduce the price and provide better service to its clints. A Timorese senior high School student in Dili, Augosto da Costa Santos said Timor Telecom had very bad service to it's client and the connections is always busy and always delay our sms so I think it's time for government to act. Agusto From Liquica said some areas in Liquica itself do not have access to phone connection.

To see video of President Ramos-Horta on the subject see this link on Tempo Semanal TV