National Member of Parliament MP Josefa Alvares Soares has expressed concerns with illegal operators diverting Timor-Leste numbers during calls to Indonesia.
She explained that twice she called Bali in Indonesia using a local number but the person on the other side of the line received a call from another number.
“It happened to me twice when I made calls to Bali using a TT number. My call was diverted and connected with another number,” asked MP Soares at the National Parliament, in Dili.
According to the MP this is not supposed to happen and in 2011 the National Parliament liberalised the telecommunications sector in Timor-Leste and established the National Communications Authority (ANC) to manage, supervise and to solve such issues.
The MP added that according to the Telecommunications Regulation Art.19, section 4, if an operator diverts a call for private gain, the ANC can take the operator to court.
“They have not looked at this issue,” said MP Soares.
In response to the issue the Deputy Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communication (MOPTK), Eng. Inacio Moreira said he is aware of the issue and that the government is attempting to resolve the issue.
He added that MOPTK will inform the Indonesian telecommunications regulatory authority to work with the Timor-Leste regulatory authority to resolve this issue.
“We have to find a solution and how to control this. We will need a detecting mechanism so that if anyone tries to divert a call, we will know about it,” said Deputy Minister Moreira.
He added this issue only takes place in Indonesia but not in other nations such as Singapore, Portugal or in other European countries.
