ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: The Pakistan Telecommunications Company (PTCL) has earned the highest ever revenue of Rs62 billion ($1bn) during the last financial year, says a PTCL official.

He attributed this achievement to the introduction of a number of services, upgradation and expansion of the its network, tariff rationalizations and effective capacity utilization of long distance media.

One very important factor, according to the company, was non-interference of external pressures, said Nemattullah, the PTCL accounts director-general while talking to a group of journalists.

He said that a revenue target of Rs67.332 billion had been fixed for the current financial year.

The results for the first quarter (July-Sept) will be made public by the end of November after the approval of PTCL board of directors, he said.

The official said that the company decreased its operating costs by Rs1.844 billion to Rs31.458 billion compared with Rs33.302 billion of the last year.

The company also introduced an oracle-based accounting system while plans were also afoot to introduce integrated enterprise resource planning system to gear up the company towards cost control and competition.

The DG added, PTCL had also hired professional engineers, scientists and accountants which would not only help reduce unemployment but will also enable the company to strengthen its financial position.

Mr Neamatullah said PTCL was also alive to the future challenges and had taken steps accordingly. He said PTCL had already reduced its bandwidth tariff to boost internet and software technologies. Another landmark achieved during the year was the increase in the capacity of internet bandwidth.

NEW ITR GM: Arshad Badar has taken over as Islamabad Telecommunications Region (ITR) general-manager. Mr Badar has a great experience of working in the Islamabad Telecom Region at various levels, says a press release.