ISLAMABAD ( STAFF REPORT )
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, chaired the meeting of the Advisory Committee for the release of Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) spectrum in Pakistan held at the Finance Division today. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin ul Haque, Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Chairman PTA Major General (R) Aamir Azeem Bajwa, Secretary Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Executive Director Frequency Allocation Board and other senior officials participated in the meeting. The Chairman PTA briefed the Advisory Committee about the latest developments in the sale of available spectrum of next generation mobile services in the country. While appreciating the sale of maximum possible spectrum, the Finance Minister stated that it will contribute towards overall economic growth through digitalization and improve the quality of broadband services in Pakistan, he added. The Committee was also briefed that the hiring process for the consultants was completed in December 2020 as per procedure and newly hired consultants are on board for the sale of available spectrum within the current financial year. The Finance Minister urged the consultants to follow a proactive approach and meet the given deadlines effectively. He emphasized that the time is of essence in the release of NGMS Spectrum and the whole process of auction must be transparent for strengthening and expanding communications / IT Services across the country. The next follow-up meeting of the Advisory Committee is expected to take place in March, 2021.