We understand that many of our customers must feel angry at the rates to Pakistan increasing. We do not want to charge more but we have no choice. We all work very hard at Localphone to provide a high quality service at good prices. Every provider will have to pay this new tax to terminate to the PSTN in Pakistan. This tax by the Pakistani Government has increased from 1.25p to 5p (2.5¢ / 10¢) per minute!! This is the vast majority of the cost of the call we are charging. We are making less money now than before, and very much understand and share your anger, but please direct it at those responsible as we are powerless to change anything.
Read more about the tax increase.
I hope you understand that this affects every provider of calls to Pakistan and not just Localphone, and that moving to another company will not stop this charge. We will bring prices down as we get better rates, but anyone who offers a lower price than this will certainly only be doing so for a very short period of time as a trick to get customers. Please be patient and we will soon offer the best price in the market again, as we will demonstrate when the effect of the tax becomes clear over the coming days. There will be companies out there that have not yet realised their wholesale price has increased and may for a few days be charging the old prices, but no company will ever be able to maintain their old rate as the increase by the Pakistan government is so massive that to do so would mean financial disaster.
Please join us in signing an on-line petition to protest this unreasonable tax hike.
Paul Cusack, CEO Localphone Ltd.
Update: We have managed to source a new supplier and have reduced our rate to Pakistan