[Korea.net News, Nation, December 30 2007] Transition team to seek reduction of oil taxes, mobile phone charges before Feb. 25

The transition team of President-elect Lee Myung-bak said Sunday (Dec. 30) it will pursue reduction of oil taxes and mobile phone charges through consultations with the Roh Moo-hyun administration before the incoming government takes power on Feb. 25.

"We’ve decided to implement the tasks which can be done before the launch of the new government," said Lee Dong-kwan, spokesman for the transition team. "We will try to reduce the oil tax by 10 percent and discount the mobile phone charges as soon as possible."

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The country’s mobile carriers have faced criticism recently over the charges that they collect from subscribers. The Information Ministry has been in talks with three mobile operators to find ways to cut service charge rates.

According to government data, each household in Korea spends 6 percent of its total expenditure on telecommunications services. The amount is three times as high as the average of member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Around 60 percent of the service charges come for mobile phone bills.