Experts positive about foreign handsets registration

Telecom sector experts have appreciated Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) decision to develop a new mechanism for the temporary registration of handsets belonging to the overseas Pakistanis and foreigners visiting the country.

They have also urged the government to turn the mechanism into a long-term solution in a bid to enable the expatriates and foreigners to manage their overseas businesses besides connecting with their loved ones while they are in the country.

PTA is in the process of developing and testing the system to ensure its robustness and technical functionality, stated a PTA statement. “This mechanism will be made available soon and further details will be uploaded on the PTA website,” it said.

Terming it a good decision, Alpha Beta Core CEO Khurram Schehzad told The Express Tribune that it would help create room for further processing, however, he regretted that it was a short-term strategy.

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“There is a need for a long-lasting mechanism under which everything is documented automatically through well-defined, easy processes and systems,” he emphasised.

“Under the new system, mobile devices shall be allowed to function in Pakistan for up to 120 days without any taxes and duties.”

He elaborated that an applicant would apply for temporary registration by entering their credentials and device IMEIs via the PTA’s Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS).

Over the past few years, the digital ecosystem of Pakistan has undergone drastic transformation, especially since the outbreak of the pandemic and subsequent introduction of remote working, said SI Global CEO Noman Ahmed Said.

“Great strides have been made in order to integrate as many aspects of real life with the digital platforms as possible owing to little-to-no human interaction during the 2020 lockdown,” he said.

The shift to digital communication gained rapid traction since the digitalisation boom, Said remarked.

He pointed out that Pakistan’s youth was flexible, adaptive to new ideas and methods of working and readily accepting the technology and modern techniques of governance.

He appreciated PTA’s decision to introduce and implement various policies. “Digital technology continues to be the core of e-commerce industry and the government has employed its impressive capabilities to allow sellers to connect with their customers through the web and mobile platforms,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2022.

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