ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal Friday informed the National Assembly that the Etisalat International Pakistan had to pay Rs. 3.171 billion interim dividend to the government in September.
During the question-hour, he said 26 per cent shares of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) were sold to M/s Etisalat for $ 2.598 billion in 2006 and it so far paid $1.799 billion. "The total outstanding amount against M/s Etisalat is $799.306 million."
To a supplementary question, Afzal said the government had to handover some shares from the PTCL property to Etisalat but it could not be handed over due to disputed nature of the assets. However, the government was making efforts to settle the issue amicably.
To another question, the Parliamentary Secretary said at present there was no exact figure about the oil being smuggled from Iran, but there was a need for extra efforts by the Revenue board to assess the loss being caused by the illegal activity to the national exchequer.
He said Pakistan-Iran border was stretched over approximately 730 kilometers, adding that half of the border was in the jurisdiction of Gwadar Collectorate, where the remaining border was in the jurisdiction of Model Customs Collectorate, Quetta.
Due to the very nature of smuggling and lack of verifiable data for this illicit trade, he said, it was difficult to work out with absolute precision to the market size of smuggled Iranian oil and the economic losses suffered from there.
"Though there is no exact date to depict the actual economic loss caused from the smuggled Iranian oil but the quantum of seizure is an indication of the scale of the menace of smuggling."
The government, he said, had evolved an effective strategy to prevent the oil smuggling under which it established new check posts have been established at Surab, Rakhni, Sheela Bagh, Gwadar-Pasni Road, Gwadar Zero-Point, Khari and Lak.
Besides, check posts at RCD Highway at Moachko, Super Highway near Toll Plaza and National Highway near Ghaggar Phatak, Karachi have been established While, Customs Posts at Fisheries/Jetties at Jiwani, Pishukan, Surbunder and Dam have also been established, he added.
Under the strategy, he said, existing check posts at Nokundi, Dalbandin, Lak-Pass, Balleli, Dam and Bandh Murad have been fortified.
"Supervision and activation of intelligence squads, anti-smuggling Mobile Squads and Mobile Enforcement Units has been enhanced and equipped with sophisticated arms and vehicular mobility,? the minister said.
The government also made efforts to enhance coordination with other law enforcement agencies for carrying out joint operations against the smuggling of Iranian petroleum products.
Moreover, he said, a "Marine Section" has been established by MCC Gawadar to gather information, plug attempts of smuggling through speed boats carrying Iranian petroleum products.
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