Senate Committee on IT to Probe Rs. 59 Billion Unpaid Dues from LDI Operators

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology has once again taken up the issue of Rs. 59 billion outstanding dues owed to the national exchequer by Long-Distance & International (LDI) operators. The committee has scheduled a meeting on March 18, with the matter included in the agenda. The committee has summoned Secretary IT and Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to brief the members on the renewal of LDI licenses and the recovery of outstanding dues. A separate briefing has been requested on seven LDI companies that have been operating for months without valid licenses or renewal fees. The Ministry of IT and PTA previously failed to recover Rs 58.9 billion from these operators. Despite license expirations over a year ago, the companies continued operations. The Law Division had recommended against renewing the licenses of these defaulters. The committee will also discuss the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, presented by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan. Additionally, the delay in Ignite’s Virtual Production Studio project will be reviewed, with a briefing by the CEO of Ignite on the reasons behind the project’s slow progress.