NTC fails to convert official phones, faxes into ISD
Sunday, December 9, 2007 6:27ISLAMABAD (December 09 2007): National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) has failed to meet of deadline October 13, 2007 for converting official fixed line telephone and fax connections into international subscriber dialling (ISD). “The delay in converting phone or fax numbers to ISD is causing serious problems in office work”, sources in the ministry of communications told this scribe.
Most of telephone calls or transmission of documents overseas cannot be made in time as Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has withdrawn the operator-assisted call booking service, he added.
When contacted, an official in NTC, told Business Recorder on the condition of anonymity that they have already asked all concerned ministries, divisions and departments to provide authentic lists of officials along with their office and residence telephone numbers at the earliest for their conversion to ISD.
The NTC has been receiving lists containing phone or fax numbers and converting them to ISD with a self-controlled secret code, he said. The NTC had also requested PTCL to extend operator-assisted call booking service to facilitate its subscribers for smooth switch over to ISD, he added.
He said observation of the ceiling already prescribed for the official telephone and fax connections will be the responsibility of the individuals whereas excess expenditure over and above the ceiling would be borne by the official concerned.
There will be no limit for ministers, advisors, members of NSC and BS-22 officers for both office and residential telephones. NTC specific calling cards debitable to individuals through monthly bills with ceiling of Rs 500 and Rs 250 denomination, per month for officials in BS 20/21/22 and BS 17/18/19 respectively will be issued by the NTC, he informed. Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz had ordered conversion of fixed line telephone and fax numbers to ISD from October 1, 2007.
