36,092 complaints registered against telecom operators in 2014
ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has received 36,092 complaints from consumers against different telecom operators in 2014 as compared to 29,714 complaints during 2013. The telecom operators included cellular, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Long Distance International (LDIs), Wireless Local Loop and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). PTCL leads the chart with Telenor to stand at second position for most complained telecom operators. According to the Authority here on Wednesday it was able to get 97.9 % complaints resolved.
Maximum number of complaints related to Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) as mobile subscribers constitute major part of overall telecom subscriber base.  Total number of complaints against CMOs during 2014 stood at 22,271 as compared to 17,948 registered in 2013.
Out of these total complaints, 50 % of the complaints were related to misuse of service which includes obnoxious, fraudulent and undesired communication as well as the blocking of SIMs involved in spam.
Illegal practices (13.7%) and verification issues (7.6%) related to or using mobile SIMs were also a major part of total complaints against CMOs which were dealt by the introduction of biometric SIM verification system by PTA.
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) related issues (6.8%), billing complaints (3.2%) and poor customer service (3%) have also been registered with the Authority frequently.
In terms of the segregation of complaints on operator basis,a total of 7,372 complaints were received against Telenor which is 33 % of the total CMO related complaints. Ufone, despite, being the fourth biggest operator subscriber wise, had 4,513 complaints against its various services which make up 20% of the total CMO related complaints.
Mobilink, which had the biggest share in complaints during the last few years dropped to third spot with only 4,224 complaints (19%) registered against its name during 2014.
Zong has 16% share of the total complaints against CMOs as 3,510 complaints were received by the Authority against the operator during 2014.
Warid, the smallest operator in cellular market, also had the smallest share of only 2,602 complaints i.e. 12% of the total CMOs complaints.
PTA took up and pursued these complaints with the CMOs and managed to effectively resolve 98 % of the complaints registered.
Moreover, during the period, a total of 13,458 complaints were received against PTCL as compared to 11,168 complaints during the corresponding period last year.
Faults/disruption in service remained the major issue regarding PTCL’s services as more than 71% of the total complaints against the operator belong to this category.
Being a fixed line operator, it requires door to door services for quick rederessal of complaints.
The need for upgradation and maintenance of the existing infrastructure by PTCL is very much evident as depicted in above
figure and to come up to the expectations of the customers.
Among other areas of concern were poor customer services,Quality of Service issues, and provision of services as per complaints registered by PTA’s Complaint Management System.
Similarly, International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) blocking facility introduced by PTA in 2006 is one of the major initiatives to assist Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to curb rising incidents of stolen, lost and snatched mobile phones by culprits.
PTA not only blocks the use of a reported handset on any cellular network in Pakistan but also helps unblock the phone in case the handset is recovered by the owner.
Since the launch of this service, a total of 877,568 IMEIs have been blocked by PTA as reported by handset owners till June 2014. Out of these, 48,394 IMEIs were unblocked after successful recovery of the handsets.
During 2014, a total of 95,750 IMEIs were blocked after scrutiny of received complaints while 3,497 IMEIs were unblocked.

Copper price crashes on World Bank growth outlook
LONDON (AFP): The price of copper tumbled Wednesday to the lowest level for more than five years after the World Bank slashed its global economic forecasts. Copper for delivery in three months plunged in Asian trading hours to $5,353.25 per tonne, a level last seen in July 2009. That marked an 8.0-percent slide from Tuesday’s close. Copper, which is used in plumbing, heating, electrical and telecommunications wiring, clawed back ground in late morning deals in London to stand at $5,564.50 per tonne. “Unease over the global economy engulfed commodities,” said analyst David Papier at trading firm ETX Capital.
Copper “is often considered a barometer of industrial demand, so the slump leant extra gravitas to news that the World Bank had cut its 2015 growth forecasts blaming sluggishness in the eurozone, Japan and some major emerging economies”, Papier noted.
The World Bank on Tuesday predicted that global economy would grow by 3.0 percent in 2015.
That marked a downgrade from the previous forecast of 3.4 percent that was given in June.
“The global economy is slowing down,” said analyst Connor Campbell at dealer group Spreadex.
“It does not help copper that commodities in general are suffering,” he added amid a slump for oil prices.

ICCI demands speeding up
metro bus project
ISLAMABAD (APP): Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ICCI) has demanded of the government to complete metro bus project in time as delays have hit the business activities in twin cities badly. Senior Vice President ICCI, Shakeel Munir told APP that all the businesses in Islamabad have suffered but the Blue Area is worst hit where many traders have gone bankrupt while hundreds are on the verge. He said that many roads in Islamabad are closed owing to the construction work on the project resulting in scarcity of customers and transport issues. “Schools have been reopened but due to the closure of main arteries in the city, commuters are facing severe inconvenience” he added.


Shakeel Munir further said that the busy business centre of Blue Area is giving a deserted look due to sit-ins and construction work, adding that roads in Islamabad are deteriorating due to the frequent movement of heavy trucks even on service roads.
He said that he has asked the Metro Bus Project management and CDA to look into these problems and take urgent measures to speed up the pace of work for completion of the project.
Chief Engineer Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Saeed Akhtar told this agency that during his visit to the construction site on Wednesday, he was informed that the labourers were facing problems due to thick fog at night and early morning.
Saeed Akhtar said that he has inspected Package I (Faizabad to 9th Avenue) in Islamabad and Package II (Peshawar Morr) and asked the contractors to complete work as early as possible so that finishing touches could be given to the project. He said that Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has directed the contractors of Metro Bus Project to increase the labour force in the day to complete work as the contractors stop work during night due to dense fog and cold.
He further said that the project was earlier expected to be completed by the end of 2014 but due to sit ins in the capital.
He said as many as 64 buses will ply on the metro bus route. Metro Bus Project Site Engineer Muhammad Atif Javed told APP that work on dismantled portion of Nullah Leh Bridge near Liaquat Bagh has almost been completed. “Now we would install girders over it, he added.
The Metro Bus Service would start from Flashman’s Resort Chowk on Benazir Bhutto Road and it will end at Pakistan Secretariat. The buses would cover a distance of 23.2 kilometres through Benazir Bhutto Road, Faizabad, IJ Principal Road, 9th Avenue and Jinnah Avenue of Islamabad.

FPCCI president assures member associations of full support
KARACHI (APP): FPCCI will closely work with its member bodies and provide them all possible assistance, cooperation and guidance in resolving their trade related issues. This was assured by President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Mian Muhammad Adress to the four-member delegation of Pakistan Chemicals and Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) calling on him, here at the Federation House, said FPCCI statement on Wednesday. Led by PCDMA Chairman Haroon Nisar Numberdar, the delegation discussed various issues pertaining to their business with FPCCI President Mian Muhammad Adress.

The meeting was also attended by FPCCI Vice Presidents Muhammad Waseem Vohra, Shahnawaz Ishtiaq and Ikram Rajput. President FPCCI, Mian Muhammad Adrees and Vice President FPCCI Muhammad Waseem Vohra assured their full support and cooperation in raising voice in the concerned quarters to resolve the issues of chemicals and dyes industry.

Raids conducted in Gujrat, Karachi to curb grey trafficking
ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in its ongoing efforts to control grey trafficking, has unearthed illegal gateway exchanges at Gujrat and Karachi. The first raid was carried out at Jalalpur Jattan where illegal exchanges comprising one laptop and switches were confiscated. Two persons were arrested and were in FIA custody for further investigation. The second raid was conducted at residential house at Gulshan Hadeed, Phase 2, Karachi in which illegal exchanges comprising two 16 port gateways, two modem, one laptop, one desktop and one LAN switch were confiscated. One person was arrested and was in FIA custody for further investigation.
The raids against grey operators were carried out along with team of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).