Senate informed: ‘USF disbursed Rs9.5bn to enhance telecom connectivity in KP’

ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Tuesday that the Universal Service Fund (USF) has disbursed Rs9.5 billion to enhance telecom connectivity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the past 3.5 years.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja informed the House that the initiative aimed to improve digital access in underserved areas through the expansion of 2G, 3G, and 4G services, fibre optic deployment, and better connectivity along key road networks.

These projects were designed to bridge the digital divide, particularly in rural and remote regions where private telecom operators had little incentive to invest on their own.

The House was informed that all contracts were awarded through a competitive bidding process in compliance with Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.

The process involved a Single Stage Two Envelope System, where technical proposals were evaluated first, and only qualified bidders advanced to the financial bidding stage.

The contracts were awarded to the lowest financial bidders, ensuring that the projects remained cost-effective. Licensed telecom operators contributing to the USF fund were eligible to participate, with major players such as Jazz, Ufone, Telenor, Zong, PTCL, Nayatel, Dancom, and Wateen securing contracts for different projects.

The house was also informed that the salaries and allowances of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) officers have risen over the past three years.

For the fiscal year 2023-24, SEG-1 (BS-20) officers now earn Rs3.36 million in salary and Rs3.54 million in allowances, compared to Rs2.27 million and Rs2.41 million, respectively, in 2021-22.

No official vehicles or mobile allowances are provided to officers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025