Showcause Notice will be Issued to Mobile Operators for Increasing Tariffs-PTA Chairman

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will issue show-cause notices to mobile operators, if tariffs were increased without following laid-down mechanism, said chairman PTA Major Gen. (Retd) Amir Azeem Bajwa.

While briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, which met with Rubina Khalid in the chair, Bajwa said that tariffs are being increased through a proper mechanism and discussions. Recently no tariffs have been increased.

He further said that consumer gets air time of Rs 60 on a card of Rs 100. He assured the committee that show cause notices would be issued to mobile operators if any of them have increased tariffs and violated mechanism.

Mobile Operators increasing tariffs without  following laid Down mechanism will be Punished

The committee observed on Monday that thee are news that mobile companies have raised tariffs compared to the previous prices, after the restoration of taxes by the Supreme Court. Screenshots of PTA website indicating tariff increases are being shown on social media.

The committee also observed that thousands of mobile phones are being smuggled through the same IMEI number. Rubina Khalid said that there are factories of rumors which need to be eliminated, as many rumors surfaced about polio campaign as well.

The committee also reviewed the import duty on a mobile phone. The committee was informed that it relates to the Federal Board of Revenue. Further thousands of mobile phone are being smuggled through the same IMEI number. The committee sought written response from concerned authorities in the next meeting on the matter.

The Ministry also briefed the committee on Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects for the next fiscal year 2019-20, while saying that a total of 23 schemes are proposed out of which 8 are ongoing schemes and 15 are new schemes.

A total demand of Rs16475 million has been made against these schemes with Rs 9814 million for new schemes and Rs 6661 million for ongoing schemes.

The committee was further informed that the Special Communication Organization (SCO) has proposed projects worth Rs 3 billion while IT Park, NITB and PSEB have projects worth Rs 1 billion. Optic fiber till Rawalpindi has been linked, besides 5-6 submarine cables are there. The capacity of new fiber optic is very much but consumers are still using submarine cable. Committee members questioned how much fiber optic under the CPEC is beneficial for the general public.