PESHAWAR, July 21: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has reduced the pay-phone tariff to make it rational and more affordable to the public, said a press release here on Monday.

According to the revised rates, the consumers have been asked to pay Rs4 instead of the existing Rs5 for a local call of five minutes duration from PCO to a PTCL or NTC number.

The release said that PCOs would charge Rs3.82 for one unit of NWD, ISD and NWD mobile calls whereas for a local call to a mobile number, the tariff would be Rs7.64 for first minute and Rs3.82 for every subsequent minute. The new tariff will be implemented from August 1, 2003.

Regarding complaints of overcharging by some PCO operators, it said the public should help the PTA by paying only the lawful tariff. It said that mobile teams have also been constituted who would conduct surprise visits of the PCOs and impose fines on those violating the new directives regarding tariff rates.