Bidding for 3G licences: National Assembly panel for not allowing defaulter cellular companies

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT) on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned that defaulter cellular companies should be barred from taking part in 3G bidding process. The committee met with Mohammad Barjees Tahir in the chair, where Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Universal Service Fund (USF) informed that the USF has a fund of Rs 42 billion, while it owes Rs 26 billion against different cellular companies.
The committee has asked for the list of defaulters cellular companies and recommended that these companies should not be allowed to take part in 3G bidding. The committee has constituted a sub-committee to further investigate the matter. The committee discussed the performance of IT Ministry, services of cellular companies and undesired/unwanted SMS.
Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Farooq Ahmad Awan informed the committee that action would be taken against those involved in sending unnecessary messages under the Pakistan Electronic Cyber Crime Bill to control the menace. The chairman said that he himself was receiving such unnecessary/unwanted messages.
MNA Anusha Rehman said that mechanism is available with PTA to control the menace of unwanted SMSs; however no action has so far been taken against the people involved in the matter, which adversely encouraged the practice. She proposed that PTA should set call centre to overcome the threat of unwanted messages from unknown numbers. MNA Nosheen Saeed said that despite the fact that cellular companies were collecting money from customers, it failed to control the menace of unnecessary/unwanted messages.
The committee directed PTA to make the call centres more effective in collaboration with the cellular companies to overcome the issue. The committee also discussed the inquiry report on the project of National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) 'Establishment of Optical-Fiber' along coastal highway. PTA officials informed the committee that inquiry was being conducted against 9 officials and explanations have been called from them in this regard.
Anusha Rehman said that inquiry against bureaucracy has no effect unless member national assembly is included in it. On which, a sub-committee was constituted under the convenor of Shafqat Mehmood. The committee was informed that inquiry against the Ex-M.D Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has been initiated and explanation has been sought from him. The committee expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of Pakistan Telephone Industry and recommended that it should be closed.