ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecom while taking notice of recent disruptions and slowdown of WhatsApp and internet services in the country, summoned Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman for a briefing on the issues.
Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima, while briefing the committee, announced the government’s plan to launch 5G technology in the first quarter of 2025.
During the meeting, chaired by Syed Aminul Haq at the Parliament House, discussions included the establishment of the Telecommunications Appellate Tribunal. The ministry officials stated that the tribunal’s creation is in progress under the Telecom Act. Once operational, pending cases in the High Courts will be transferred to the Telecom Tribunal.
The committee discussed, “The Establishment of Telecommunications Appellate Tribunal Bill, 2024” (Government Bill), in detail. The bill states that a tribunal is being established to expedite the pending cases of the telecom sector. These cases were previously pending in the High Court, causing delays in their resolution. After the establishment of the tribunals, all such cases would be transferred to it, and the tribunal would be bound to make a decision within 90 days.
The committee was further informed that currently, there are 71 cases pending before the High Court and it would be transferred to the tribunal after the passage of the bill.
Furthermore, the forum of appeal of such cases of telecom sector would be the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The committee also inquired about the procedure for appointing the tribunal’s chairperson and its appointing authority. The committee recommended that the ministry may consult with the Ministry of Law and Justice and come up with proposal/amendments if any, in the next meeting. Thereafter, the committee deferred “The Establishment of Telecommunications Appellate Tribunal Bill, 2024” (Government Bill) till its next meeting.
A committee member highlighted the challenges of legally bringing even $100 into Pakistan, emphasizing the IT sector’s potential to revive the economy. The IT minister said that smartphones and laptops are essential, noting that taxes have been imposed to curb mobile phone smuggling. She clarified that these taxes are collected by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), not the PTA. The committee chairman argued against taxing mobile phones and laptops, congratulating the ministry on the increase in IT exports.
The committee addressed ongoing issues with WhatsApp, attributing responsibility to the PTA and requested a briefing on the matter in the next meeting.
The committee was further informed that Spectrum Auction of 5G is under consideration and its likely to be auctioned in March 2025. The committee recommended that ministry may bind the Service Providers to ensure the proper 5G services after its auctioning in major cities without compromising on quality.
The committee recommended that ministry may incentivize the Service Providers in 5G Spectrum Auction and ensure that these incentive amounts should properly spend on the betterment of infrastructures by them for un-interrupted services of 5G in the country.
The committee also recommended a policy change for the 5G launch, with the IT minister noting that work has begun on this initiative. The ministry has set a target for the first quarter of 2025 for the 5G launch, with consultant short-listing underway.
The committee chairman acknowledged the challenges faced by telecom companies with dollar payments and emphasised the importance of facilitating public and business operations through 5G. He suggested instalment-based payments for companies and urged the government to extend 5G to all cities. Haq also noted the global shift towards 5.5G and 6G while Pakistan remains on 4G, advocating for policy changes inspired by models from Singapore, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.
While briefing the committee, Universal Service Fund (USF) officials informed that 1.5 percent of the revenue of all service providers goes into the USF. The USF uses these funds to provide services in underserved and un-served areas, ensuring the availability of data and voice services.
The USF also informed the committee that Rs61 billion from their fund were taken by the federal government in Federal Consolidated Funds in 2015, out of which, 45 billion are still outstanding despite their demand of return. The committee recommended the ministry to write the request repeatedly after every three months to the federal government for return of their funds
The committee received comprehensive briefings from heads of the Ministry of IT and Telecom’s subsidiary organisations, including Ignite, Virtual University, and Telecom Foundation, regarding their performance, future plans, and achievements.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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