Senate body meets today: Telecom operators, banks will come under scrutiny

ISLAMABAD: Telecom operators and banks will come under scrutiny as the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue is set to take up the issue of additional charges imposed on customers in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday (today).

According to an official notice issued by the Senate Secretariat, the committee will receive a detailed briefing from representatives of banks and the telecom sector on charging an extra fee to its customers.

In one of its earlier meetings, Saleem Mandviwalla, chairman of the committee, observed that banks are collectively charging customers hundreds of millions of rupees for SMS alert services without obtaining clear and informed consent. He questioned the legality and transparency of the practice, noting that customers are often unaware they are being billed for these services.

Members of the committee expressed concern over the lack of clarity surrounding customer consent, terming the practice exploitative. Responding to the concerns, the State Bank of Pakistan official informed the committee that banks do not charge customers for mandatory SMS alerts, adding that fees are applied only to voluntary SMS services for which consent is obtained. The committee chairman said that they can call Telcosto reconcile the charges.

The meeting, to be held at Parliament House, will also deliberate on a range of financial and administrative issues, including the grant of honorarium equal to five months’ basic pay for medical staff of Parliament House, and salary-related concerns of faculty members working under the tenure track system.

In addition, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman will brief the committee on a request from the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry regarding the classification of PCT heading 3921, as well as on the non-implementation of a presidential order issued in July 2025.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026