ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has received 33 Expressions of Interest from different national and international investors for the grant of two more cellular mobile phone licenses , said Chairman PTA Major Gen (Retd) Shahzada Alam Malik here on Thursday.

The response is very encouraging and positive and the enthusiasm shown by the parties substantiated the fact that telecom sector had great business potential, he told reporters here at the PTA headquarters.

PTA had earlier fixed January 2, 2004 as the last date for submission of Expressions of Interest (EoIs) and the press conference was organized after receiving EoIs after the expiry date.

Flanked by Member (Finance) Mr Nehmatullah and Member (Technical) Mr Naseem Ahmad Vohra, the chairman said that out of 33 parties, 16 were international companies of repute while 17 were from Pakistan.

The international companies comprised two American, four from UAE and the rest from Malaysia, Turkey, Lebanon, Norway, Kuwait, Singapore, Holland and Austria.

The national companies included M/s Equinox Marketing (Pvt) Ltd, M/s Rupali Polyester Limited, M/s Telecard, M/s CellOne (Pvt) Ltd. M/s Novatex, M/s World Call, M/s Dewan Telecom (Pvt) Ltd, M/s Engro Chemical, M/s Telsyste Telephony System, M/s Satcom, M/s Global Telecom SK&B Saudi Pak Consortium, M/s Fauji Foundation, M/s Techno Engineering Services, M/s Telconet Communication and Engineering, M/s Western E Tel (Pvt) Ltd. M/s Apollo Telecom and M/s Stony Brook Sugar R Distillery Sargodha. After receiving the EoIs, PTA would now start scrutiny and shortlisting, during which no strict policy would be adopted.

After necessary scrutiny, PTA would hold interested parties' conference on February 11, 2004 to respond to queries made by the intending parties, he informed the press saying that PTA would also provide them an Information Memorandum, containing requisite information for the bidders to enable them to prepare their business plan after the issuance of mobile phone licence.

Open bidding for the grant of licences would be held in March on purely competition basis in a fair, free and transparent manner and after the grant of licences the companies would start functioning in the country within six months.

He said neither there was any pressure on PTA from any side nor would the authority succumb to any from any quarters. He said, at the initial stage, the successful party would have to make investment of about $150 million in the first year and subsequently it would make further investment by preparing futureroll out plan to expand their businesses.

The cellular mobile phone teledensity in the country is hardly 2 per cent when it should be seven to eight per cent keeping in view the demand, population and GDP of the country, he said adding that the grant of licences to new parties would greatly contribute in improving cellular mobile phone teledensity, reduction in tariff following competition in the market, providing high quality service to the service users as well as better choice of service to the subscribers.