Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet met to discuss the IT sector, with a particular focus on social media, mobile phone costs, and internet services.
Senator Farooq H. Naek raised concerns about rising mobile phone prices, arguing that they hinder the country’s digitization efforts. The committee will engage with the Federal Board of Revenue to address this issue.
The meeting also highlighted the challenges faced by the telecom sector, including frequent suspensions of mobile services and the departure of Telenor from the Asian market. PTA chairman informed the committee about the upcoming 5G auction and the progress made in developing IoT technology and satellite policies.
The committee discussed the issue of social media companies not establishing physical offices in Pakistan, citing security concerns. The government is exploring options, including virtual offices. Concerns were also raised about the lack of taxation on international advertisements by social media platforms.
PTA chairman provided a comparative analysis of telecom taxes in Pakistan and neighboring countries, highlighting the higher burden on Pakistani consumers. Despite this, the telecom sector has not experienced any significant cyberattacks in the past two years.
