Punjab Consumer Protection Council
Consumers in Pakistan are faced with a variety of challenges with few avenues to resolve their issues. For telecom customers PTA is the regulatory body responsible for consumer protection. PTA has been working to step up its efforts and it has introduced a consumer rights ordinance.
There is another channel as well which is less well known. This is the Punjab Consumer Protection Council (PCPC), based in Lahore. A recent article on Consumer rights trends from the director of PCPC was published here. This post introduces readers to the diligent work of Punjab Consumer Protection Council in more detail.
PCPC has been working proactively to gather and analyze data about consumer issues and to take concrete steps to resolve them. Here are a few excerpts from the work of PCPC (reproduced by permission) which highlights various problems and issues with telecom industry. For further information or to file a complaint please contact PCPC Headquarters Office, 135-J Model Town, Lahore, Ph # 042-5857927, 5855471.
Charges usually unknown to consumers
• Paktel to Paktel calls are charged on per second basis.
• Warid to Warid calls are charged on 30 sec duration.
• ^Telenor to Telenor airtime charges for 2nd min onwards Rs. 1.67 per min, Telenor to other networks 2nd min onwards Rs. 2.82 per min (including 15% GST).
• Off-peak Time: Ufone & Warid 10 pm to 7 am, Paktel 10pm to 7am.
• 10% Advance Tax is deducted from the purchase value upon Card Activation on all Operators with the exception of Warid Telecom.
A few other Issues
• No Customer Charter
• No Standard Contract
• Falling QoS
This pie chart illustrates the common service quality issues faced by consumer of telecom. This chart is based on a questionnaire-based survey conducted by PCPC itself containing the sample size equal to 100 telecom users relating to different segments of the society.
Created by Babar Bhatti, TelecomPk.Net is a leading source of information and analysis about Pakistan Telecom industry.
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