=> LAHORE (January 17 2008): The Pakistan Telecommuni
LAHORE (January 17 2008): The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has said it is carrying out a consultation process to seek proposals and suggestions to revise and evolve the next telecom policy since the current one will be completed in 2008.
Authority Chairman Shahzada Alam Malik told reporters that the current policy remained successful, recording a tremendous growth in helping the telecom sector receive billion of dollars of investment.
“The reduction in activation charges and liberalisation of policy left positive impact on the country’s economy,” he said. “The revenue to the national exchequer has crossed the level of Rs 100 billion because of activation charges, general sales tax and license fees.”
He said mobile phone subscribers have increased to 76 million improving the socio-economic life. He was optimistic that the number of subscribers would increase to 100 million in the next two years, but aired concern over the law and order situation saying foreign investors might suspend their future investment plans.
Malik criticised the Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Limited (PTCL) for failing to provide incentives to its subscribers at par with private mobile phone operators and the bureaucratic attitude of its officers had ignored them increasing the company’s profit.
Back to his authority, he said his company’s campaign against unauthorised users had so far closed services of different operators to 169,000 subscribers though it restored service to 10,000 subscribers after they proved their identity. He said his company also got the data of 80 percent of its users confirmed from the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).
He then urged the Board of Investment, local businessmen and industrialists to think over setting up, manufacturing and assembling phones to tap the vast potential.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:1/17/2008
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