Pkrevenue.com

Category: IT & Telecom

Explore IT and Telecom stories with Pakistan Revenue, your go-to source for the latest updates on Pakistan’s technology and telecom sector. Stay ahead with real-time industry insights and economic developments.

  • PTCL declares 14.33 percent growth in after tax profit

    PTCL declares 14.33 percent growth in after tax profit

    KARACHI: Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) on Wednesday declared 14.33 percent growth in profit after tax for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2019.

    The company announced profit after tax of Rs5.46 billion during January – September 2019 as compared with Rs4.78 billion in the same period of the last year.

    The company announced Rs1.07 as earnings per share (EPS) for the period under review as compared with Rs0.94 EPS of the same period in last year.

    The total revenue of the company was flat at Rs43.774 billion in January – September 2019 as compared with Rs53.55 billion in the corresponding period of the last year.

    PTCL posted gross profit of Rs13.179 billion during nine-month period ended September 30, 2019 as compared with Rs13.721 billion in the same period of the last year.

    The administrative, general and selling/marketing expenses of the company were at Rs8.73 billion during January – September 2019 as compared with Rs8.478 billion in the same period of the last year.

    Other income of the company increased to Rs3.82 billion as compared with Rs2.18 billion.

    The profit before tax for the period was at Rs8.03 billion as compared with Rs6.927 billion in the same period of the last year.

  • Zong partners with Enfrashare to expand 4G network

    Zong partners with Enfrashare to expand 4G network

    KARACHI: Zong 4G, Pakistan’s leading telecommunication network, has entered into a strategic partnership with Enfrashare Private Limited, a leading connectivity infrastructure provider.

    The partnership will support Zong 4G’s expansion of its largest 4G network of country to provide better coverage and an unrivaled subscriber experience, said a statement on Monday.

    With more than 12,000 4G sites across Pakistan, Zong 4G is the country’s leading 4G network with over 13 Million 4G subscribers.

    The company is at the forefront of digital revolution, empowering people from all walks of life to experience best-in-class digital experience.

    Enfrashare, with its expertise and investment in connectivity infrastructure, allows Mobile Operators to reduce the cost of access to consumers.

    Owned by one of the largest groups in Pakistan (Engro Corp), Enfrashare was formed with the vision to help enhance digital connectivity throughout the country. It aims to engage with all stakeholders in telecom’s ecosystem in order to realize their goal of digitizing the nation.

    Commenting on the partnership Zong 4G’s Spokesperson said: “Zong 4G is committed in its ambition of building the digital Ecosystem of Pakistan. In a bid to further augment the user experience, Zong 4G has partnered with Enfrashare to further expand its network outreach.

    “Our customers experience is our first priority, and through this partnership our customers will benefit directly from our state-of-the-art mobile network for a seamless digital experience.”

    Speaking at the ceremony, Rehan Hassan from Enfrashare, stated, “Enfrashare firmly believes that connectivity is a basic human need, it is the conduit that enables social and financial inclusion.

    “We are very proud of what we have accomplished in a short span of time, since our inception last year. This agreement allows us to work with one of the most respected operators in the country to provide enhanced solutions.

    “Enfrashare’s vision goes beyond just towers to enable broader connectivity, and encompasses all necessary components including towers, fiber, energy and more. This partnership marks the beginning of a new journey, where the two key members of telecom’s ecosystem will bring together their expertise and enhance the country’s connectivity.”

    Zong 4G’scollaboration with Enfrashare affirms both companies’ vision and commitment to enhance the connectivity infrastructure landscape in the country as well as complements the ambition of building a Digital Pakistan.

  • Ufone, Habib Bank sign agreement for trade financing in Chinese currency

    Ufone, Habib Bank sign agreement for trade financing in Chinese currency

    KARACHI: Pak Telecom Mobile Limited – Ufone and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) have signed a landmark agreement, through which HBL has extended a bilateral Trade Finance in Chinese Yuan (RMB/CNY) for the import of cellular network equipment through Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, a statement said on Friday.

    The Landmark agreement is part of one of the largest RMB/CNY contracts in the history of Pakistan between Ufone and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd., and it would furthermore be a breakthrough in the banking industry of the country.

    The trade deal under this new mode of transaction will set a precedent for different sectors and corporations in both friendly countries—China and Pakistan—which plan to take their working relationship to the next level through this currency swap agreement.

    This transaction would also ease off the pressure of import bills in terms of dollars for Pakistan.

    The business deal being carried out by Ufone, Huawei and HBL will be the first of its kind in the telecom sector, and will also pave the way for various other mobile operators and traders in Pakistan to expand their businesses through this mode of trade finance facility.

    The agreement was signed by Mohammad Nadeem Khan, Chief Financial Officer PTCL & Ufone and Farhan Talib, Head Corporate and Investment Banking, HBL.

    The ceremony was witnessed by Rashid Khan, President and CEO PTCL & Ufone, Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO HBL, Chi Linchun, CEO Huawei Pakistan and Yang Yougui, Regional President Huawei Middle East.

  • Ufone, SCO sign bilateral roaming service agreement

    Ufone, SCO sign bilateral roaming service agreement

    ISLAMABAD: Special Communications Organization (SCO), the largest Integrated Telecom Service Provider in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Ufone have signed a Bilateral Roaming Services Agreement at PTCL headquarters, Islamabad.

    The ceremony was attended by Major General Amir Azeem Bajwa (Retired) HI (M), Chairman PTA; Major General Ali Farhan HI (M), Director General SCO; Rashid Khan, President & CEO, PTCL & Ufone and senior officials from both sides.

    With this agreement, Ufone has become the only mobile operator to offer Data service in addition to Voice and SMS services to SCO subscribers in Pakistan and SCO will also offer Roaming Voice & SMS services in AJ&K and GB to Ufone subscribers.

    It is pertinent to note that Ufone and SCO are already in an agreement since 2008, under which, SCO subscribers have been enjoying Voice and SMS Roaming services in Pakistan.

    This development is also seen as stimulating economic activity, as enhanced communication capability improves efficiency and productivity, resulting in cost savings and spurs growth of business.

    “SCO can now proudly claim that it has the most advanced network, providing state-of-the-art mobile services to its valued customers,” said Major General Ali Farhan HI (M), DG SCO.

    “Ufone is a highly innovative company in the field of telecommunications in Pakistan and I am sure that the biggest beneficiaries of this alliance will be the citizens living in Pakistan, AJ&K and GB,” he added.

    “Our strategic alliance is a win-win situation for both partners and even more importantly, for the customers,” said Mr Rashid Khan, President and CEO PTCL & Ufone.

    “This alliance will make sure that resource sharing benefits both organizations and offers superior products and services to the public, improving their quality of life,” he further added.

  • FBR updates sales tax rates on mobile phones on import, local supply

    FBR updates sales tax rates on mobile phones on import, local supply

    KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has updated sales tax rates on import or local supply of mobile phones to be applicable for Tax Year 2020 (July 01, 2019 to June 30, 2020).

    The FBR issued Sales Tax Act, 1990 updated up to June 30, 2019 incorporating changes brought through Finance Act, 2019.

    The FBR updated NINTH SCHEDULE of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 to prescribe sales tax rates on mobile phones.

    The Table:

    S.No.Description/ Specification of goodsSales Tax on import or local supplySales tax chargeable at the time of registration (IMEI number by CMOs)Sales tax on supply (payable at the time of supply by CMOs)
    1.Subscriber Identification

     

    Module (SIM) Cards

    		  Rs250
    2Cellular mobile phones or satellite phones to be charged on the basis of import value per set, or equivalent value in rupees in case of supply by the manufacturer, at the rate as indicated against each category:–

     

     

    		   
     A. Not exceeding US$ 30

     

     

    		Rs135Rs135 
     B. Exceeding US$ 30 but not exceeding US$ 100Rs1,320Rs1,320 
     C. Exceeding US$ 100 but not exceeding US$ 200Rs1,680Rs1,680 
     D. Exceeding US$ 200 but not exceeding US$ 350Rs1,740Rs1,740 
     E. Exceeding US$ 350 but not exceeding US$ 500Rs5,400Rs5,400 
     F. Exceeding US$ 500Rs9,270Rs9,270 

    LIABILITY, PROCEDURE AND CONDITIONS

    (i) In case of the goods specified against S.No 1of the Table, the liability to charge, collect and pay tax shall be on the Cellular Mobile Operator (CMO) at the time of supply. In case of the goods specified against S.No 2, the liability to pay sales tax at the time of import shall be on the importer, and the liability to charge, collect and pay sales tax payable on supplies shall be on the Cellular Mobile Operator at the time of registering International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number in his system.

    (ii) The Cellular Mobile Operators shall, if not already registered, obtain registration under the Sales Tax Act, 1990.

    (iii) No IMEI shall be registered in his system by a Cellular mobile Operator without charging and collecting the sales tax as specified in the Table.
    (iv) The Cellular Mobile Operator shall deposit the sales tax so collected through his monthly tax return in the manner prescribed in section 26 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, and rules made thereunder.

    (v) The Cellular Mobile Operator shall maintain proper records of all IMEI numbers registered for a period of six years, and such records shall be produced for inspection, audit or verification, as and when required, by an authorized officer of Inland Revenue.

    (vi) The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority shall provide data regarding IMEI numbers registered with other Cellular Mobile Operators to prevent double taxation on the same IMEI number in case of switching by a subscriber from one operator to another, and to provide data regarding registration of IMEI numbers to the Board on monthly basis.

    (via) The sales tax as indicated in column (3) of the Table above shall be paid by the importer, in case of imports and by the manufacturer, in case of locally manufactured cellular mobile phones.

    (vii) No adjustment of input tax shall be admissible to the Cellular Mobile Operator or any purchaser of cellular mobile phone against the sales tax charged and paid in terms of this Schedule.

    (viii) The tax specified in column (4) of the Table shall be charged, collected and paid with effect from such date as may be specified by the Board and the sales tax specified in column(3) shall stand withdrawn from the date so specified.

    The FBR said that notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the levy, collection and payment of sales tax under Notification No. S.R.O. 460(I)/2013, dated the 30th May, 2013, shall be deemed to always have been lawfully and validly, levied, collected and paid.

  • Peshawar customs announces auction of confiscated mobile phones on Sept 27

    Peshawar customs announces auction of confiscated mobile phones on Sept 27

    ISLAMABAD: Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Peshawar has announced public auction of confiscated mobile phones to be held on September 27, 2019 at State Warehouse.

    Following mobile phones will be offered for the auction:

    01. 55 pieces of SAMSUNG GALAXY CORE 2 DUOS (22 pieces) and SAMSUNG GALAXY J1 (33 pieces)

    02. 53 pieces SAMSUNG GALAXY J1 (23pieces) and SAMSUNG GALAXY CORE 2 DUOS (30 pieces).

    03. 1987 pieces of Q 3310 Mini Mobile Phones.

    04. 8 pieces of Q Mobile D4 Phone.

    05. 45 pieces of SAMSUNG MOBILE PHONE (J56SM-J510-F/DS).

    06. 800 pieces of Voice Mobile Phone V-105 (580 pieces), V-840 (60 pieces) and V-2426 (160 pieces).

    07. Total 04 pieces of NOKIA (107) Mobile Phone (02 pieces), G Five (Model 1226)=01-No & Q Mobile (H50) =01-No.

    08. Total 174 pieces of Q MOBILE (L9)

    09. 14 pieces of Q MOBILE Phone (L7).

    10. 06 pieces of Q MOBILE Phone XL3000 =01-No & Q Mbile E2000 PARTY=05-Nos.

    11. Total 481 pieces of Nokia 1134 Mobile Phones =119-Nos, 1110 116-Nos, 1035 80-Nos, 944 45-Nos, 1136 62-Nos & 1133 59-Nos.

    12. 05 pieces of Samsung Galaxy Alpha Mobile Phones =04-Nos and IPhone GSM=01-No.

    13. 05 pieces of Q Mobile K-180.

    14. 22 pieces of Samsung G570F =18-Nos, Samsung G610F 01-No, Samsung G313 01-No Motorolla XT1030 01-No & HTC X200 01-No.

    15. 02 pieces of Samsung Galaxy Alpha SM-G580 F Mobile Phones.

    16. Total 117 pieces of Samsung Galaxy Core 2 Duos SM-G355H =112-Nos, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 01-No, Samsung Iphone =01 No, Samsung Galaxy Tab 5 02-Nos & Tab 4 01-No.

    17. 99 pieces of Q Mobile Commando 1.

    18. 64 pieces of Samsung Galaxy J5 23-Nos Galaxy J2 25-Nos & Samsung A3 (6) 16-Nos.

    19. 26 pieces of Nokia N1 616 Mobile Phone =01-No, Nokia N106 21-Nos, Nokia N1280 01-No & Nokia N1202 03-Nos.

  • Pakistan imports mobile phones worth Rs26 billion; up 52.4pc in July – August

    Pakistan imports mobile phones worth Rs26 billion; up 52.4pc in July – August

    KARACHI: Pakistan has imported mobile phones worth Rs26 billion during first two months of current fiscal year, which is 52.4 percent higher when compared with Rs16.98 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.

    The higher import of mobile phones can be attributed to massive depreciation of Pak Rupee during the comparative year and deterrence created against smuggled mobile phones.

    According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) that rupee value converted into US Dollar on average monthly exchange rate provided by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

    The PBS said that the exchange rate for import value has been applied as: August 2019 (1$=RS.158.077024 ), July 2019 (1$=Rs.158.829694) and August 2018 (1$=Rs.123.789583).

    On the other hand the mandatory registration through system introduced by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also discouraged the influx of smuggle phones and resulted in high number of clearance through legal channels.

    The PBS said that in terms of dollar the import of mobile phones registered 19.4 percent growth during the period under review.

    The import of mobile phones was $163.484 million during July – August 2019 as compared with $136.91 million in the corresponding period of the last year.

    The country imported mobile phones worth Rs13.47 billion in the month of August 2019, which is 61 percent higher when compared with Rs8.37 billion in the same month of last year.

    The latest figures of August 2019 are also 8.38 percent higher when compared with Rs12.43 billion in July 2019.

    Related Stories

    Mobile phones import down by 22.15 percent on mandatory registration

  • SRB suspends sales tax registration of Wateen Telecom

    SRB suspends sales tax registration of Wateen Telecom

    The Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) has suspended the sales tax registration of Wateen Telecom Limited due to the company’s failure to remit collected sales tax to the provincial treasury. The decision came after an audit revealed significant lapses in tax payments by the telecom provider.

    (more…)
  • FBR sets up information booth at ITCN Asia

    FBR sets up information booth at ITCN Asia

    KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has setup an informative booth for ease of doing business at ITCN Asia Expo 2019 to be continued September 17-19 at Karachi Expo Center.

    The setting up of the informative booth is aimed at enlightening the industry players, youth and the other stakeholders about the role FBR is playing in Ease of Doing Business in Pakistan and other facilitative measures being taken for the taxpayers, traders and investors.

    The team of FBR is led by Mustafa Sajjad Hassan, Member Facilitation & Taxpayers Education (FATE) who is assisted by Ms. Tehmina Aamer, Chief (FATE) and Field officials of RTO, Karachi.

    The event has provided an opportunity to not only comprehend the challenges and concerns faced by industrialists and business community but also to enlighten them about the new initiatives taken by FBR to reduce the hurdles of doing business.

    Through this platform, FBR aims to create awareness about the simplification of filing process, alternative modes of tax payment with ease, automation of sales tax registration and sales tax refund system besides other facilitative measure taken by FBR.

    The setting up of information booth will also help to get valuable feedback of industry leaders, businesses and most importantly the youth that is shaping the future narrative transforming business and industry outlook in the region.

  • Apple launches iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max smartphones

    Apple launches iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max smartphones

    CUPERTINO, California: Apple on Tuesday announced iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, a new pro line for iPhone that delivers advanced performance for users who want the very best smartphone.

    The new Super Retina XDR display is a pro display with the brightest display ever in an iPhone, a statement said.

    The powerful Apple-designed A13 Bionic chip provides unparalleled performance for every task while enabling an unprecedented leap in battery life to easily get through the day.

    A new triple-camera system provides a pro-level camera experience with an Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto camera, delivering huge improvements to low-light photography and offering the highest quality video in a smartphone that is great for shooting action videos.

    iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max come in four gorgeous finishes including a beautiful new midnight green, and will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, September 13 and in stores beginning Friday, September 20.

    “iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are the most powerful and advanced smartphones we have ever made. They are packed with sophisticated technology that pros can count on to get their work done, and for anyone who wants the very best device made, even if they are not a pro,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 11 Pro has the first triple-camera system in iPhone and is far and away the best camera we’ve ever made, it provides our customers with great range of creative control and advanced photo and video editing features in iOS 13. The Super Retina XDR is the brightest and most advanced display in iPhone and the A13 Bionic chip sets a new bar for smartphone performance and power efficiency.”

    The statement said that the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have a textured matte glass back and polished stainless steel band, and come in four stunning finishes including a beautiful new midnight green. The most powerful devices are also designed to be durable — iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max feature the toughest glass ever in a smartphone and are rated IP68 for water resistance up to 4 meters for up to 30 minutes, and are protected against everyday spills including coffee and soda.

    The new Super Retina XDR display, a custom-designed OLED, provides users an immersive HDR viewing experience for movies and other high-definition video with up to 1,200 nits brightness.

    Super Retina XDR features wide color support with system-wide color management and True Tone to offer a more natural viewing experience. With a 2 million-to-one contrast ratio with true blacks, pro users can enjoy a more vivid viewing experience for HDR videos and photos, and the Super Retina XDR display is even more power efficient.

    Customers can interact with their favorite apps in a quick, seamless way with Haptic Touch deeply integrated across iOS 13 to provide app shortcuts for everyday tasks right from the Home screen, including taking a selfie in Camera, checking an appointment in Calendar or previewing email within Mail with just a simple press

    Fastest Performance with the Best Battery Life A13 Bionic, the fastest chip ever in a smartphone, provides unparalleled performance for every task iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max handle and features up to 20 percent faster CPU and GPU than A12. A13 Bionic is built for machine learning, with a faster Neural Engine for real-time photo and video analysis, and new Machine Learning Accelerators that allow the CPU to deliver more than 1 trillion operations per second. Together, A13 Bionic and iOS 13 make up the best machine learning platform in a smartphone.

    All of this compute, graphics and ML performance is delivered while still enabling an unprecedented leap in battery life, with iPhone 11 Pro offering up to four more hours of battery life in a day than iPhone XS, and iPhone 11 Pro Max offering up to five hours more than iPhone XS Max.

    A Pro Camera System for Everyone

    iPhone 11 Pro introduces a transformative triple-camera system with all-new Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto cameras, deeply integrated into iOS to create a pro-level camera experience designed for everyone.

    iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max set a new standard in video, with the highest quality video ever in a smartphone. Each camera in the triple-camera system records brilliant 4K video with extended dynamic range and cinematic video stabilization. With a wider field of view and large focal plane, the Ultra Wide camera is great for shooting action videos. Users can easily zoom between each of the three cameras, while Audio Zoom matches the audio to the video framing for more dynamic sound. With iOS 13, powerful video editing tools are accessible to everyone with the ability to rotate, crop, increase exposure and apply filters to videos instantly. These adjustments are easy to apply and review at a glance, so even a novice can create professional quality video projects.

    With the tight integration between hardware and software, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max take the traditional camera experience even further in a way only Apple can. The all-new Ultra Wide camera fundamentally changes the camera experience by capturing four times more scene, great for taking landscape or architecture photos, tight shots and more.

    The new Wide sensor with 100 percent Focus Pixels and advanced software enables Night mode, and delivers huge improvements to photos shot in indoor and outdoor low-light environments, resulting in brighter images with natural colors and reduced noise.
    The triple-camera system takes Portrait mode to a new level with the ability to choose Wide and Telephoto framing, enabling Portrait mode with a wider field of view, great for taking portraits of multiple people. The Telephoto camera features a larger ƒ/2.0 aperture to capture 40 percent more light compared to iPhone Xs for better photos and videos.

    Next-generation Smart HDR uses advanced machine learning to recognize subjects in the frame and intelligently relight them for more natural-looking images with greater detail. A new True Tone flash is over 30 percent brighter. Deep Fusion, coming later this fall, is a new image processing system enabled by the Neural Engine of A13 Bionic. Deep Fusion uses advanced machine learning to do pixel-by-pixel processing of photos, optimizing for texture, details and noise in every part of the photo.

    A redesigned camera interface provides a more immersive experience that works together with the triple-camera system and all-screen display to let users see and capture the area outside of the frame. For the first time, users can easily record video without switching out of Photo mode with QuickTake by simply holding the shutter button to start recording.

    The new TrueDepth camera introduces a new 12MP camera with a wider field of view to capture selfies, and next-generation Smart HDR enables more natural-looking photos. Expressive selfie videos take on a whole new look with the TrueDepth camera that now records 4K video at up to 60 fps and 120 fps slo-mo.

    Additional Features

    The new Apple-designed U1 chip uses Ultra Wideband technology, the first ever in a smartphone, for spatial awareness. With iOS 13.1 coming on September 30, AirDrop gets even better with directionally aware suggestions.

    Face ID, the most secure facial authentication in a smartphone, gets up to 30 percent faster and easier to use with improved performance at varying distances and support for more angles.

    Spatial audio provides an immersive surround sound experience and Dolby Atmos delivers powerful, moving audio to iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
    Gigabit-class LTE up to 1.6Gbps and Wi-Fi 6 allow for even faster download speeds2 and Dual SIM with eSIM.

    Featuring iOS 13

    iOS 13 on iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max delivers a seamless experience with software and hardware integration unlike any other smartphone. iOS 13 introduces a dramatic new look with Dark Mode, a more private way to sign in to apps and websites with Sign In with Apple, and an all-new Maps experience.4
    With advanced Camera and Photos features, photo editing is more comprehensive and intuitive with powerful new tools that now extend to video editing.

    Portrait Lighting adjustments can be made right in the Camera app to adjust the intensity of light on a subject, and a new High-Key Mono effect creates a beautiful, monochromatic look for Portrait mode photos.