ISLAMABAD, May 17: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here on Tuesday said the number of cellphone users in the country would touch the 20-million figure within the next two to three years. Inaugurating a function organized by the ministry of information technology in connection with the World Telecom Day, the prime minister said the telecom sector had witnessed great progress within the past few years in Pakistan, when the number of mobile phone users was just 3.5 million.

The government has given licences to more companies from the private sector which worked side by side with the public sector and this resulted in increase in the number of cell phone holders to 10 million at present. He said it was the objective of the government to provide better services to the people at cheaper rates by creating and promoting a competitive environment by allowing new private companies to venture into the sector.

The prime minister said the government’s far-reaching policy reforms and visionary initiatives had revitalized the telecom sector, with people reaping benefits of competition through quality services and reduced prices.

“The government has tried to create an environment that is conducive to economic growth and benefit of the consumers,” Mr Aziz added. Competition with good regulations was in the benefit of the consumers as it discouraged the monopoly of few companies and encouraged quality services, he said.

The objective of the government was to provide good services to all categories of consumers at affordable prices, he said. He described the reform in the telecom sector as one of the pillars of overall reforms, but added that there was still a lot to be done. “The reforms brought about a turn-around in the area. Having a telephone connection ten years ago involved a cumbersome and lengthy process, but this situation is never there anymore.”

He said the telecom sector was now open with many new licences given for wireless local loops and long distance and there were now six operators in the mobile phone sector.