KARACHI: PPO blamed for non-delivery of phone bills
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Nov 25: The PTCL holds the Pakistan Post Office responsible for the non-delivery of telephone bills more than other courier companies tasked to do the same job.
PTCL officials told Dawn on Monday that despite the fact that the telecommunications utility had increased the amount it paid for the distribution of bills to the postal department, the complaints of non-delivery of bills still existed.
Earlier this year, the PTCL raised the delivery charges of the PPO by 60 per cent.
Sources told Dawn on Saturday that previously the PTCL paid the PPO Rs2.5 for every telephone bill. After the upward revision of delivery charges, they added, the PTCL would pay the PPO Rs4 apiece.
They said that in addition to the PPO, the PTCL engaged four other courier companies to distribute phone bills in the city. The courier services were Multi Services, Super Star, Speed Bird and Industrial Techno Services.
“Previously, when the PTCL was paying the PPO Rs2.5 for the deliver of every telephone bill, the courier services used to get Rs1.35 apiece. While the PTCL has raised the delivery charges of the PPO to Rs4 per phone bill, it has kept the delivery charges of the courier services unchanged.”
Insiders say that because of the poor performance of the PPO, it is not allowed to distribute valued bills — bills worth more than a certain amount fixed by the PTCL every six months. Only courier companies are allowed to deliver valued bills — referred to as preferred bills in technical parlance — to subscribers and get receipts. For each valued bill, a courier company receives Rs6.5 from the PTCL.
In case of non-delivery of a valued bill, the PTCL imposes a fine of Rs21 per bill on the courier company concerned. On the other hand, in case of non-delivery of a normal bill, the PTCL merely withholds delivery charges.
PTCL officials insist that for two reasons it is wise to entrust both the PPO and the courier companies with the task of delivering bills to subscribers. First, such an arrangement creates an atmosphere of competition, spurring one party to outdo the other. Second, the courier companies, by their own admission, are not in a position to deliver bills in all the areas of the city, particularly those localities where houses are not marked in a methodical manner.
Analysts point out that the PTCL can ensure the delivery of bills by increasing the number of valued bills. At present, only 20 per cent of the bills issued by the PTCL can be treated as valued bills.
Dawn has it on good authority that the PTCL spends only Rs2 million on delivery of bills. This figure is very small in comparison with the revenue earned by the PTCL.
The sources say that not all areas of the city generate equal amount of revenue for the PTCL. They add that 20 per cent of the areas generates 80 per cent of the revenue earned by the PTCL. In Karachi, for instance, PECHS generates the highest amount of revenue.
The analysts maintain that by increasing the number of valued bills in those areas which generate fairly large amount of revenue, the PTCL can ensure delivery of phone bills.
