NEW RATES RAISE PRICES IN TELEPHONING BY 12-24 PERCENT

ZAGREB, July 27 (Hina) - Starting on Aug. 1, Croatia's citizens will pay their telephone bills at a 12-24 percent higher average price, while business subjects' bills will drop by 5-18 percent, Croatian Telecom said on Friday. New rates in non-mobile telephoning, whereby the entire Croatia becomes a one-rate zone, eliminate the difference in prices between local and inter-county calls. One minute on the telephone throughout Croatia will cost 23 lipa without Value Added Tax. Moreover, Croatia will have a uniform subscription fee for all private users which in the future will amount to 60 kuna instead of the previous 40 or 70. The new subscription price will include a detailed listing of all calls, which in the past users paid of at 16 or 32 kuna. Users will also be able to have more than one telephone line, paying for them a 39-kuna subscription fee. According to the new system, prices of inter-county calls will decrease by 30 and those of international ones by 50 percent. The new rates provide for a more transparent system and are within European Union standards, the HT says. A decision on new rates in telephoning was made by the government on July 26. ($1 = 8.2 kuna) (hina) ha