Cabinet Greenlights Telecom Law Amendment

In Islamabad, auditors have raised concerns about the hefty allowances being handed to the chairman and members of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). This issue stems from an amendment made to the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organisation) Act, which allows these officials to receive allowances in addition to their salaries.

The chairman and members are currently paid under the MP-I and MP-II scales, respectively, along with allowances typically reserved for senior executives, as per Finance Division office memorandums from 2007 and 2009. However, auditors have objected, suggesting that these allowances should be aligned with the management pay scales and not exceed those typically granted to senior executives. This has sparked a conflict of opinions between the auditors and the Law and Justice Division, leading to confusion over the correct pay structure.

To resolve this, the PTA requested an amendment to the Act, seeking to grant the Prime Minister the authority to decide the pay and allowances for PTA’s chairman and members. The current legislation, which outlines the salary and benefits for PTA officials, has created a discrepancy, as other regulatory authorities like Ogra and Nepra have laws that empower the government to set the remuneration for their leadership.

To clear up this ambiguity and bring PTA’s pay structure in line with other regulatory bodies, the Cabinet Division has proposed an amendment to the Act, which was approved in a recent cabinet meeting. Under the new proposal, the federal government would have the final say on the salary packages of PTA officials, making their pay structure more consistent with other regulatory bodies.
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