PTCL to get Rs12.5m for optic fibre link, WeBOC

Telecom firm had demanded Rs14 million for these facilities

ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs was told on Tuesday that Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) had agreed to charge a cost of Rs12.5 million that would be incurred on setting up an optic fibre link and Web-Based One Customs (WeBOC) tax system at Gwadar Port.

At a meeting of the sub-committee chaired by Senator Kauda Babar, officials of the maritime ministry revealed that PTCL had demanded Rs14 million for the fibre connectivity and WeBOC system, but after successful negotiations, the company agreed to set up the facilities at a cost of Rs12.5 million.

Regarding internet connectivity, the committee was apprised that services had been interrupted due to recent rains and floods in the area. “Work on alternative routes along the coastal highway is in progress from Uthal to Gwadar in order to provide uninterrupted services for the area,” a PTCL official said.

The committee chairman called for expediting work on Gwadar Port and facilitating domestic and foreign investors while reviewing various issues pertaining to the port and its investors.

About progress on the Eastbay Expressway project, the committee was informed that its PC-I had been revised and submitted to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform for approval. Its cost would be borne by the government through allocation in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

The committee chairman directed the Gwadar Port Authority to expedite all matters so that the port may become fully operational soon, after which the committee would visit the site.

The meeting was attended by Senator Moula Bux Chandio, Muhammad Akram and senior officers of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Gwadar Port Authority, Federal Board of Revenue and PTCL.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2019.

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