Pakistan’s Tax Revenue from Mobile Phone Users Exceeds Rs3 Trillion as Utility Prices Surge

Islamabad: The Ministry of Finance has revealed that over Rs. 3 trillion in taxes has been collected from mobile phone users in Pakistan over the past five years, reflecting the significant financial contribution of the telecommunications sector.

According to the data presented to the National Assembly, a total of Rs3.38 trillion was amassed from cellular users during this period. As of August 2024, Pakistan’s Cellular subscribers are as many as 193.098 million.

Similarly, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics observed that gas prices have surged by 800 percent in the last four months. The meeting was presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Ghulam Mustafa Shah to discuss the hike in prices.

In the course of the session, it was established that sugar has increased by 53.5% in the last five years and palm oil for 61%. Also, the prices of soybean oil, wheat, and crude oil had gone up by 35 percent in the same period.

Pakistani authorities have blamed the increase in inflation to steep increases in electricity and gas tariffs which are IMF requirement for the country. Some of the reports showed that gas tariffs have gone up by 520% in November 2023 and 319% in February 2024.

In the same respect, electricity price increases were realized at 35% in November 2023 and 75% in February 2024. The Bureau of Statistics pointed out that these utility price hikes have been among the main contributors to total inflation in the country.