At today's meeting of the National Commission for Communications Regulation, a draft decision on changing tariffs for international, long-distance and local telephone communications, proposed by the working group established by the NCCR, was adopted as a basis. In addition to the commission members, it included representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ukrtelecom OJSC and other communications operators, and public organizations. The working group was created in early June and held about ten working meetings. Based on the discussed, thoroughly studied and reasoned proposals for establishing new tariffs for telecommunications services, the working group developed and proposed for consideration by the commission members changes to tariffs for international, long-distance and local telephone communications. Guided by the provided calculations and justifications, the NCCR members adopted as a basis the draft decision which provides for a reduction of tariffs for international communications, for calls within Ukraine and calls to mobile communications. Tariffs for telephone conversations within the region, per-second billing and the subscriber fee for the use of local telephone communications will increase. NCCR Chairman Oleh Haiduk believes that the proposed changes are relevant and necessary, since for three years the tariffs for the industry's services remained unchanged. The decision to raise tariffs for certain types of communications is driven by covering the cost of telecommunications operators' services. "When discussing the issue of new tariffs for telephone communications, the working group considered and took into account various factors – the cost of access to networks, market realities, inflation, social factors," Oleh Haiduk argued for the proposed changes. "When making the relevant decisions, we were guided primarily by social interests," comments Oleh Vasylovych on the situation. According to the NCCR chairman, the draft decision has been adopted as a basis and will be sent for consideration to the Federation of Trade Unions, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Final decisions on changes to tariffs for telecommunications services will be adopted and submitted to the Ministry of Justice for approval after all procedures are completed in accordance with the legislation.