The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has experienced a severe deterioration in its financial position over the past three fiscal years, with revenue falling by more than 62 percent and expenses climbing by over 50 percent.
According to the audit report by the Auditor General of Pakistan for FY 2024–25, the annual revenue of the regulator has fallen consistently across three consecutive fiscal years.
In FY 2022–23, the authority recorded revenue of Rs94.179 billion.
By FY 2023–24, that figure had dropped to Rs50.722 billion, a decline of nearly Rs43.5 billion in a single year. The downward trend continued into FY 2024–25, with revenue falling further to Rs35.349 billion, bringing the three-year cumulative decline to over 62 percent.
While revenue contracted sharply, the expenditure of PTA moved in the opposite direction. The total expenses of the authority stood at Rs3.32 billion in FY 2022–23.
This rose to Rs3.94 billion in FY 2023–24 and climbed further to Rs5 billion in FY 2024–25. Over three years, total expenditure increased by more than 50 percent.
Audit authorities identified the delay in conducting the 5G spectrum auction as a principal cause behind the sustained decline in revenue.
The auction, which was expected to generate significant funds for PTA, has not taken place within the assessed period, directly impacting the income streams of the authority.
