Mr. Popkov asserts that the Economy Ministry is keeping strict control over pricing. He emphasises, “Mobile operators have the right to increase tariffs, but by no more than planned inflation growth. For example, if this stands at 10 percent, operators may raise prices by no more than 10 percent.”
Mr. Popkov believes that tariff hikes are often caused by operators’ wishing to cover costs of network modernisation and other technical upgrading. He adds, “Communication operators purchase equipment at world prices, while modernisation and the development of new technology and services requires serious investment.”
By Dmitry Fedotov
