Telecom sector revenues up to Rs452.8 billion: PTA report

ISLAMABAD: Total revenues of Pakistan’s telecom sector jumped up to Rs452.8 billion in fiscal year 2015-16 against Rs446 billion reported in previous financial year, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) revealed in its annual report released on Friday.

The annual report further disclosed the telecom sector contributed Rs157.8 billion into national exchequer on account of tax payment against Rs126 billion during the same period of previous year but this contribution was much less than fiscal year 2013-14 when it stood at Rs243.8 billion.

The GST collection by telecom operators stood at Rs41.65 billion, down from Rs45.8 billion a year ago. This GST collection from telecom operators once touched Rs60.1 billion in 2013-14 but it declined afterwards.

Despite all the tall claims and increase in 3G, 4G usage, the tax collection had declined by almost 10 percent.

The country’s telecom sector fetched $719.7 million during the financial year 2015-16 against $1.001 billion in previous fiscal 2014-15.  Out of total investment of $719.7 million investment, the telephone companies attracted investment of $659.4 million, Long Distant & International sector $6.3 million and Local Loop $54 million.

PTA figures further state that telecom sector grew by less than 2 percent during the year, mainly due to decline in LDI revenues after dismissal of ICH, increased competition and stagnant growth in voice revenues.

The LDI operators made Rs23 million during 2015-16, down from Rs80.81 million that they had generated a year ago. This sharp decline in LDI revenues is mainly due to withdrawal of ICH, a drive that allowed long distance and international operators to fix international incoming call prices at higher rates.

Class Value Added Services showed remarkable growth and generated Rs43 million in revenues, up from just Rs3.78 million revenues a year ago. PTA’s deposits during the report period stood at Rs34 billion, up from Rs7 billion a year ago. According to PTA’s report, it received 38, 741 complaints from telephone consumers during July 2015 to June 2016.

A company leads the chart with 15,529 complaints while the other stands at second with 6120 complaints. PTA argued that it was able to get 99.6 percent complaints resolved. Total number of complaints against telecos during FY2015-16 stood at 22,866.

In terms of the segregation of complaints on operator basis, a total of 6120 complaints were received against one company which is 27% of the total complaints. The other  stood second in the row with 5392 complaints i.e. 23% and another stands third with 5276 i.e. 23% complaints. The fourth had 4296 complaints, which make up 19% of the total complaints, followed by the fifth with 1782 i.e. 8% complaints.