Foreign content broadcast: PEMRA accords permission to all TV channels, says Kaira
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) gave permission to all TV channels to broadcast foreign content, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira informed the National Assembly on Monday. Kaira, while replying to a question by Nahid Shahid Ali, told the lower house that as per Pemra terms and conditions, 90 percent of the content must be indigenous, while the remaining 10 percent is for foreign content.
He said out of 10 percent foreign content 6 percent is for Indian or others, while the remaining 4 percent is for the English content as per the Pemra terms and conditions, adding that no ban has been imposed on showing the Indian films and dramas on TV channels in the country. Pemra had stopped airing of illegal Indian satellite TV channels on cable networks, and all the Pemra licensees are generally following aforementioned policy, however, any violation reported/identified during the routine enforcement pursuit would be taken seriously and immediate punitive action be taken against the licensees, Kaira added.
About the action taken against cable operators during the year 2011-12 till date, Kaira told the House that considerable surprise inspections were conducted across the country to establish writ of the Authority and bind cable TV operators to observe Pemra laws and policies during the 2011-12. However, notices and warnings were issued to the licensees violating laws. Furthermore, equipment being used for promoting illegal activities were impounded by the enforcement teams and fines were imposed. The Pemra imposed fine of Rs 1.5 million to the licensees violating laws.
To a question, Ministry of Information and Technology informed the House in a written reply that National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) has issued 118,031 wireless and landline telephone connections, including landline 106,073 and Wireless Local Loop (WLL) 11,958 so far. The wireless sets used by NTC are manufactured and supplied in the market by two Chinese firms. At the time of delivery from vendors, these wireless sets are properly tested by a technical committee and after successful testing these are purchased and accepted. However, after usage, some complaints are received, mostly related to the charger or batteries of the sets, which are duly rectified by replacement of the parts by NTC through the vendor.
To another question by Shaikh Rohale Asghar, the minister told the House that in the fiscal year 2005-06, telecom sector attracted the highest ever US $1.9 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which was 54.1% of the total FDI in the country, the highest FDI share among all major sectors of the economy. However, the FDI started declining and reached US $374 million during the fiscal year 2009-10 and was only 17% of the total FDI in the country during the year.
Issuance of cellular mobile licenses and establishment of telecom infrastructure by telecom operators brought huge amount of US $6.0 billion FDI during the fiscal years 2005-06 to 2008-09. Now, telecom operators have established their basic infrastructure throughout the country, therefore, investments are only required for necessary expansion, system maintenance and upgrades. Therefore, FDI in telecom continued to decline, Kaira added. During question-hour MNA Shagufta Sadiq asked the Minister for Inter Provincial Co-ordination Committee to inform the House about the details of movable and immovable assets of the ministries devolved to provinces after 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Parliamentary Secretary, Khurram Jahangir Wattoo, while replying to the question, told the House that during the process of devolution, the Implementation Commission set up a committee on July 7, 2010, assisted by the Secretary Cabinet, Secretary Establishment and Secretary Finance, to prepare options on the financial aspects involved in the devolution process.
He said on the instructions of the committee, the Finance Division identified current budgetary allocations for various ministries for the financial year 2010-11 and indicated issues and modes pertaining to transfer of budgetary allocations, assets and liabilities to the provincial governments, if so decided by the federal government. For this purpose, a special core team was set up in the Finance Division.
The Planning & Development Division identified development budgetary allocations for projects and various options regarding funding of projects that could be devolved to the provinces. The committee held six meetings, but could not complete its assigned task due to the resignation of Senator Ishaq Dar, who was deputy chairman of the committee, he added. Subsequently, being post-devolution matters, the task was assigned to a “high powered committee to resolve post-devolution issues,” headed by Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Minister for Religious Affairs. The issue is under consideration of high powered committee. The recommendations of the committee are yet to be conveyed, Khurram Jahangir Wattoo maintained.
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