ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) can not determine tariff independently, says a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority official.

Talking to Dawn, PTA director co-ordination, Col Yunas said, “under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorgani-zation) Act 1996, PTA is the sole regulatory body to determine the telephone tariff hence the telecommunication companies working under the authority are not allowed to increase their tariffs without PTA’s approval.”

Referring to Telecommuni-cation Rules 2000, he said, it was just a formula laid down by the government to propose tariffs rather than to take a decision by the PTCL or any other company.

“The PTA acts as a regulator for the PTCL or private companies and looks after the interests of three stakeholders involved in the telecom business — users, licence holders and the government.

He said public concern would be taken into account before approving the PTCL’s proposal for tariff increase for the year 2001-02.

We have conveyed the recommendations made at a public hearing held on December 10 to the PTCL authorities on the proposed tariff parameters 2001-02 i.e, monthly rental and local call consumer prices have been increased by 11 and 7.8 per cent respectively.

People rejected the proposed tariff rationalisation 2001-02 made by the PTCL at a public forum and said that it was unjustified, considering the fact that the PTCl earned a profit of Rs18 million in the last financial year.

When asked if the government had proposed tariff increase to make it a profitable deal for privatization, he said: “The PTA has no concern with the government’s decision to privatize the PTCL. As far as proposed tariffs are concerned the decision will be taken in the larger interest of the consumers”.

He refused to comment on the PTA’s case which is still pending in Lahore High Court. The Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) have filed a case against the authority’s decision in favour of the PTCL in which it had approved the later’s decision of tariff increase, last year.

An official of the PTCL requesting anonymity said: “The federal government has taken the decision to increase PTCL’s proposed tariffs for the year 2001-02 and termed PTA’s public hearing a mere eyewash for the general public.