Why Internet Companies Suddenly Increased Package Prices? Government Issues Explanation

**Islamabad:** Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima has provided a written explanation in the Senate regarding the recent increase in prices of monthly super card packages by telecom operators.

The IT minister stated that mobile operators have raised the prices of their monthly packages by 20 to 50 percent. She explained that the increase was primarily due to rising fuel prices, which significantly impacted the operational costs of telecom companies.

Shaza Fatima further said that a 44 percent depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar also contributed to the hike in package prices. Additionally, the increase in the policy interest rate from 7 percent to 22 percent has raised the financial costs for telecom operators.

She informed the Senate that despite rising costs, the mobile industry’s average annual revenue growth over the past five years has remained limited to only 9 percent, putting further pressure on telecom companies to revise their pricing structures.