Pakistanis to get mobile bank account facility by 2019: PTA

ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr Syed Ismail Shah on Tuesday said that efforts were underway to open bank accounts on mobile through which the people would be able to open mobile bank accounts till 2019. Talking to APP here after attending the opening session of the 29th South Asian Network Operators Group (SANOG) meeting, he said that Pakistan has been playing a leading role in this group. He said that currently about 40 million people were using mobiles in the country, while 87 percent people have access to the mobile facility. Dr Shah said that geographically 57 percent Pakistanis have the access to mobile facility. He said two and a half year ago there was no broadband service in Pakistan but now the country has access to 3G, 4G and HD technologies. He said the government, had withdrawn 19.5 percent tax on mobile data with the cooperation of provinces. He said that 71 percent of SIM's have been verified through biometrics system.

A special mobile application, he said, had been prepared for the special persons with the cooperation of Telenor, adding that these people would be able to use internet service like ordinary citizens.

Published in The Nation, January 25th, 2017