STAFF REPORT IBD: In a major blow to the governments efforts to auction 3G telecom licences, the Auction Supervisory Committee (ASC) of 3G has refused the PTA selected companies for consultancy services due to alleged dubious selection process.
A recent meeting of ASC could not shortlist companies for consultancy services and overseeing the process of auction of 3G spectrum licences due to “serious flaws in the selection process”, said an official after the meeting.
PTA shortlisted four parties out of 12 and gave them grades instead of marks, said the official. He further said that contrary to ASCs direction that an evaluation committee should be formed to shortlist the parties, PTA itself shortlisted the parties.
“When I reached my office after last ASC meeting, my staff had already informed those parties which had submitted expressions of interest for consultancy but could not qualify,” the official quoted Pakistan Telecommunication Authority chairman as saying in the meeting.
When the PTA chairman was approached for comments on the outcome of the meeting, he refused to make any remarks, saying “he would talk later”.
The government wants to auction three licences of 3G spectrum to raise about a billion dollars. It strives to complete the process by June 30 in a bid to restrict the gap between its income and expenditure.
However, since the launch of the auction programme in January, the process has been marred by allegations of lack of transparency and competitiveness.

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