Islamabad, August 25, 2022 (Online): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) organized Consumer Conference 2022 with the theme “Consumers First” today. Head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms, Mr. Salman Sufi was the chief guest on this occasion. CEO USF Pakistan, representatives of IT & telecom industry, consumer rights groups and the public also attended the event.
Joining the event virtually, Head of PM Strategic Reforms said this conference provides an excellent opportunity to directly obtain consumer feedback especially on the issues the public is facing. He also mentioned the recent measures undertaken by PTA such as opt out/ unsubscribing mechanism for unsolicited/telemarketing messages.
He also mentioned that the Government is working with stakeholders in the light of Prime Minister’s vision of digital economy to ensure convenience of the people. Citizen data privacy law will also be enacted in the near future which will ensure unprecedented data protection of citizens and businesses.
Addressing the conference, Chairman PTA, Maj. General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) said that PTA is cognizant of telecom consumers’ needs and is taking every step to facilitate them in resolving their issues. He said that organizing this consumer conference is yet another serious effort by PTA to take consumer feedback directly from the public. Moreover, PTA is working on improving consumer satisfaction level against the resolution of their problems.
Speaking at the occasion, Member (Compliance & Enforcement) PTA, Dr. Khawar Sidique Khokhar highlighted that PTA, being a progressive regulator with reconciliatory approach, has improved consumer experience and facilitated industry progress.
Presentations were also given during the conference. CEO USF Pakistan, Mr. Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary apprised the audience about USF projects and highlighted USF’s efforts in eliminating digital disparities in urban and rural areas. Representatives from Jazz and PTCL gave an overview on the current telecom industry landscape and initiatives undertaken to provide quality service, respectively. DG CPD, Mr. Abdul Samad and DG Enforcement, Brig. Muhammad Shuaib from PTA gave an overview on consumer complaints received to PTA and initiatives undertaken with regards to Quality of Service, illegal SIMs etc, respectively.
Representatives from Consumer rights groups – Mian Irfan Akram, Punjab Chairman Consumer Association of Pakistan (CAP) and Mr. Kamal Zada, Program Coordinator, Consumer Rights Commission of Pak (CRCP) appreciated PTA for its focus on consumer issues and expressed hope that PTA and telecom industry will resolve core problems, such as quality of service, faced by users.
A live question-and-answer session was also held with the audience which included members of the public.
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