ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) earned the total revenue of Rs 32,671 million in 2018, which was Rs 16,604 million less than the previous year, the National Assembly was told.
In a written reply to a question asked by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) lawmaker Ms. Nusrat Wahid, the Minister In-charge of the Cabinet Division told the House that the PTA earned revenue worth Rs 43,062 million in 2016, Rs 49,272 million in 2017, and Rs 32,671 million in 2018.
The House was told that the audit of Financial Year (FY) ending June 30, 2019 is not yet finalized; therefore, revenue figures of only years 2016, 2017 and 2018 have been furnished.
The Minister In-charge further told that House that the telecommunication industry attracted the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth US$ 377.9 million in FY 2015-16, US$ 116.6 million in FY 2016-17, and US$ 288.5 million in FY 2017-18.
In addition, the Minister In-charge of the Cabinet Division also shared with the House the summary of Universal Service Fund Company (USFCo.) projects, as under:
- Installed 1,159 sites under Broadband for Sustainable Development (BSD) program covering 7,116 Mouzas to-date across Pakistan.
- 456,771 Broadband connections in 552 towns/ villages.
- 6,447 kilometers of fiber optic cable laid in 56 Tehsil and 26 towns across Pakistan.
- Other projects are in progress under Next Generation -Broadband for Sustainable Development (NG-BSD) for covering highways and motorways.
