Dear all,
We’ve sent this letter from ISP Association of Pakistan (ISPAK) to the Ministry of IT.
Kind regards….Wahaj
No. 2(3)/2011
05 May 2012
Mr. Farooq Ahmed Awan
Secretary
Ministry of IT & Telecom
Government of Pakistan
Islamabad
Subject: Spending of Universal Service Fund on Political Advertisements
Dear Sir,
We have noted with concern that Ministry of IT (MOIT) and USF Company are ruthlessly spending huge chunks of Universal Service Fund on lavish media campaigns projecting the achievements of the Government in IT and telecom sector.
2. Section 33(B)(2) of Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Act, 2005 states “the USF shall be utilized exclusively for providing access to telecommunication services to people in the un-served, under-served, rural and remote areas and other expenditure to be made and incurred by the Federal Government in managing USF”. It is very clear the expenditure on projecting the achievements of Government for political gains does not fall in this category.
3. Licensed telecom operators are sole contributor to the USF with a huge contribution of 1.5% of their gross annual revenues. Spending of this contributory fund for purposes contrary to the statutory provisions is not only violative of law but shatters the confidence of telecom operators who have earnestly paid billions of rupees in USF contribution during last few years.
4. We therefore request that Government of Pakistan and MOIT being the custodian of this fund, may kindly take immediate steps to stop wasteful and illegal spending of USF on media advertisements for political gains and details of such spending already made should be presented to the Board of Directors of USF Company.
With kind regards.
Yours sincerely,
Wahaj us Siraj
Convener
c.c.
1. Mrs. Nargis Sethi, Secretary, Cabinet Division, Islamabad
2. Chairman PTA, Islamabad
3. All Board Members of USF
4. CEO, USF, Islamabad
5. Member (Telecom), MOIT, Islamabad
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