The motion was moved by the OJSC MGTS management on the eve of the hearings at the Moscow Duma (the Russian for "parliament") dedicated to the Company's proposed change-over to the new services payment pattern.

OJSC MGTS suggests that mechanisms be worked over to make the time-metering payment of the telephone services beneficial to subscribers in many respects. The Working Group will comprise deputies to the Moscow and State Dumas, representatives of the disabled and war veterans associations, the Moscow Government, Federal Committee for Social Protection of the Population, as well as housing and communal services officials.

The major task of the Working Group, in OJSC MGTS' view, should be the development of specific proposals for decreasing the costs per telephone while transferring low-income Moscow residents to the "time--meterage", and the mechanisms intended to bring into effect the benefits and easy terms through expediting the process of their provision. Besides, the Working Group will finish off the list of the socially important telephone numbers which if called up are not subject to the time-metering, and advance a number of measures to protect Internet users.