Subscribers of landline telephones have been told by the junta to pay the cost of changing phone numbers in Myitkyina, capital of Burma's northern Kachin State as of early this month, said local sources.

All landline telephones starting with the code number 25 will be changed to 20. Telephone subscribers have to pay over 550,000 Kyat (US $ 464) per phone by September 30 to the State Telecommunication Office in the township, said local subscribers.

The payment system entails subscribers having to pay 50,000 Kyat (US $ 42) to the State Telecommunication Office for a recommendation and then pay 500,000 Kyat (US $ 422) to the Ministry of Post, Communication and Telegraph in Naypyidaw through the Myanma Economic Bank, said a local telephone subscriber.

According to Myitkyina residents, the service of landline telephones starting with the code number 25 is operated with China-made Telephone Service Operating Machines and the telephone lines are prone to disruptions and are cut off whenever there is rain and lightning.

It is because of this the Chinese machines will have to be replaced with a new Israel manufactured Telephone Service Operating Machine for which the code number will be 20, said local landline subscribers.

Currently, landline telephones in Myitkyina have six different starting code numbers such as 22, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 28. There are about a thousand landline telephones starting with the code number 25, said local sources.

However, the code numbers 22 and 23 are over 30 years old and have been operated through machines made in Germany and the services offered are the best of the lot, according to landline telephone subscribers.