SPN policy: Cable operators expect new PEMRA chief to resolve problems

KARACHI:

The Cable Operators Association of Pakistan (CAP) has expressed the hope that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s new chairman Absar Alam will help resolve their problems.

A large number of CAP members recently met senior Pemra officials, including several directors general at the body’s headquarters in Islamabad.

CAP members argued that the purpose of SPN was already being served under clause 8-10 of the Pemra Regulations 2011 which allows a licence holder to provide signals to other licence holders after Pemra’s sanction. After listening to the CAP stance, Pemra’s DG operations suspended the SPN policy.

The members also requested Pemra to allow a tax holiday for an effective transfer from analogue to digital cable. The meeting was attended by Pemra officials including Sardar Irfan (DG operations), Javed Iqbal (DG licencing), Dr Abdul Jabbar (DG technical) and Ashfaq Jamali (DG policy). TRANSLATED BY ARSHAD SHAHEEN

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th,  2016.