STAFF REPORT IBD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed all telecom operators to immediately stop all prize schemes, even if they are legitimate, or they will have to face a legal action from the authority in accordance with the law.
In a letter from PTA to all telecom service providers dated May 28, 2012, the authority said that it regularly receives complaints from customers regarding the Inami schemes that various telecom companies have been offering to their customers.
The PTA termed these prize schemes as misleading and against the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulation and hence directed all telecom operators to stop such offerings with immediate effect to avoid any legal action.
Lucky draws are considered a lucrative revenue inflow for telecom operators. Industry sources suggest that one such scheme earns Rs 4 to 5 million for a telecom operator per day or Rs 150 million a month.
However, such schemes are usually misleading and result into loss of valuable money for telecom consumers. These prize schemes, officially announced and advertised by telecom operators, also give an opportunity to fraudulent people to fake the schemes and earn money through illegal means.
PTA has asked telecom operators to submit their compliance report immediately.

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