Universal service fund: Cellular operators contribute Rs58b

ISLAMABAD: Cellular companies have so far contributed Rs58.187 billion, as a certain amount of their gross revenue, to the Universal Service Fund (USF) to promote information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the country. Of the total, Rs8.587 billion had been utilised for the purpose while different programmes are being launched to spend the remaining funds of Rs49.6 billion. An official source on Wednesday said that cellular operators contributed 1.5% of their gross revenues to the USF and 0.5% to the research and development fund. He said that the operators contributed Rs7.048 billion to the R&D fund while Rs2.246 billion had been utilised. The remaining funds were Rs4.802 billion. The official said both funds had been utilised as per laid down rules and policies and added that the fund had worked on programmes during the last year for the development of ICT sector in Pakistan as required by R&D rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2012.