PLDT bucks NTC plan to require issuance of delivery receipts

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) stands to incur additional expenses amounting to some P100 million yearly under a plan by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to require the issuance of delivery receipts for each monthly billing statement (MBS) sent by telecom firms to their subscribers.

In a written comment sent to the regulatory body, PLDT noted that at present, the company spends approximately P67.39 million annually on MBS with delivery receipts, representing about 40 percent of its 1.8 million accounts nationwide.

With the proposed NTC requirement that all MBS be duly received by the subscriber by signing on the delivery receipt, PLDT said the amount will reach P168.48 million or P100 million more than what it normally shoulders.

"This amount cannot by any stretch of imagination be considered negligible. This of course will cause a dent to PLDT's allocation for projects, not to mention its income," the firm said.

If the additional cost will guarantee that all customers will pay their bills, PLDT said it will not hesitate to spend it.

However, PLDT claimed that to allow the additional P100 million without any ostensible return would be treachery to its shareholders.

According to the telephone giant, their current set-up for delivering MBS is quite efficient since on the average only 22 percent of the accounts do not pay on their respective due dates and are thus, served with notices of disconnection.

Included in the computation are subscribers who have not received their MBS and those who just refuse to pay their obligations.

Even without the delivery receipts, PLDT said the firm delivers its bills on time as subscribers generally pay on their due dates.

"Given this, the proposed provision would not serve its purpose but only unduly burden the public telecom entity with additional cost of printing and delivering. Sadly, the proposed item may be used by a few abusive and ill-intentioned subscribers from paying their bills to PLDT," it said.

If PLDT has indeed failed to send the MBS resulting to disconnection, the company said that it accepts penalties that may be imposed by the court.

Moreover, PLDT said the carriers should not be penalized any late delivery of the bill.

Late delivery, PLDT stressed, does not in any way negate the fact that the subscriber has used the service of the public telephone entity and therefore, owes the same for the service provided.

"Every person must give everyone his due, and observe honesty and good faith. While a subscriber is entitled to receive regular, timely and accurate billing, fair play and equity dictate that where a subscriber does not receive the MBS within the period he normally receives it, there should at least be some initiative on his end to inquire or at least to determine how much he owes the carrier," PLDT said.