THE latest monthly bill I have received from the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) is showing an increase of Rs350. This is not a one-off incident.
Over the last year, PTCL has repeatedly increased the monthly charges for its broadband services by small but frequent increments of Rs200-300. Not much different is the case with the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).
While each increase might appear minor in isolation, the collective result is a significant annual burden, amounting to thousands of rupees. This practice is unethical as it lacks transparency.
Besides, customers are often not given proper justification, prior notice, or an option to opt out, making it feel more like an exploitative strategy than a fair adjustment.
Utility service-providers must be held accountable for unfair billing practices.
Moreover, these continuous incremental hikes should be fairly investigated and regulated by consumer protection authorities to ensure that customers are not being taken advantage of by the utility services.
