The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued record keeping rules today specifying information to be provided by telecommunications carriers and carriage service providers to the ACCC for its annual Division 12 report.
The Division 12 report provides estimates of changes in the prices paid by different classes of consumers for a range of fixed and mobile telecommunication services. The Trade Practices Act 1974 requires the ACCC to provide this report to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts annually.
"The record keeping rules were issued following a public consultation process with carriers and carriage service providers who would be required to submit information under them", an ACCC Commissioner, Mr Ed Willett, said.
"Issue of these record keeping rules should ensure that reporting carriers and carriage service providers submit more timely and reliable information. This in turn should enhance the robustness and usefulness to stakeholders of the Division 12 report", Mr Willett said.
The record keeping rules will take effect immediately. Reporting carriers and carriage service providers will be required to make their first information submission by 30 September 2005, in relation to the 2004-05 financial year. Copies of the record keeping rules are available from the ACCC's website.