Here Are All the Tariffs and Taxes You Pay for Mobile/Celullar Services

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has disclosed the current tariff structure for voice calls, data, and SMS services offered by cellular mobile companies across the country. According to the Authority, basic Pay As You Go (PayG) rates for voice calls range from Rs. 3.2 to Rs. 3.6 per minute, while data services are priced between Rs. 3.3 and Rs. 5 per MB. SMS rates vary from Rs. 2.15 to Rs. 2.5 per message, and these charges apply only when users are not subscribed to any specific package or bundle. Consumers face significant tax deductions on mobile top-ups. For every Rs. 100 card load, only Rs. 86.96 is credited to the user’s account due to a 15 percent Withholding Tax (WHT), amounting to Rs. 13.043. Additionally, a 19.5 percent General Sales Tax (GST) applies to each call, SMS, and data session separately, typically costing users Rs. 14.190. As a result, the total tax burden on a single Rs. 100 card load reaches Rs. 27.233. PTA confirmed that these taxes are not limited to balance loads alone. GST at 19.5 percent is charged on all individual usages and subscriptions to packages, bundles, or offers. The same tax structure applies to both prepaid and postpaid services, impacting a broad spectrum of users regardless of their subscription type. In terms of regulatory oversight, PTA mandates that operators with Significant Market Power (SMP), currently Jazz, must seek prior approval before increasing tariffs or introducing new packages. Such operators are required to submit detailed proposals with justifications, consumer impact analysis, and industry comparisons. Non-SMP operators, including Ufone, Telenor, and Zong, are allowed to set tariffs independently, though all operators must notify consumers at least seven days in advance of any changes. While PTA did not specify the exact timing of the last tariff hike, it confirmed that all tariff proposals from SMP operators undergo evaluation based on operational cost justifications, inflation, and industry trends.