Senate panel seeks income details of telecom firms

Standing committee directs PTA to provide data of last one decade

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Friday directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to provide province-wise income details generated by telecom companies during the last one decade.

The standing committee met with Kauda Babar in the chair.
While discussing the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, the committee was informed of the technicalities involved and the reasons for requiring more time for vetting.
The Ministry of Law was of the view that the document might be reviewed in the light of Article 74 of the Constitution.

The Senate panel directed the ministry to get back to the committee after fulfilling all codal formalities within 15 days.
The committee was of the view that the telecom companies must focus towards developing communities via their CSR programmes, especially in the health and education sectors.
It was asserted that a framework must be developed by the ministry in that regard.

The question raised by Senator Kamran Murtaza regarding year-wise details of funds available to Universal Service Fund (USF) after its inception and those lying with the Ministry of Finance was disposed of.

Among other senators, the meeting was attended by Naseema Ehsan, Sania Nishtar, Rubina Khalid, Sana Jamali, Afnanullah Khan, Shahdat Awan and senior officers from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, along with all concerned, including the PTA and PTCL.