Vice President of the Kyrgyztelecom Company Burkan Jumabaev announced in Bishkek on 16 October that tariff rates for internal telephone service would be raised starting 1 January 2003. According to him, the tariffs would be increased by about 50 percent and the company handed its offer on it to the National Agency of Communications. He also said it should be done to repay the 50-million-dollar foreign loan received by the company. However, the tariffs for international calls could be reduced by about 20 percent.