The Google Play services will not be discontinued after December 1, 2022, since the central bank has been requested to reinstate the method through which such payments are made to international corporations.
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) halted the direct carrier billing (DCB) process, causing an annual payment of $34 million to overseas service providers such as Google, Amazon, and Meta to get stalled.
According to analysts, the action was intended to restrict dollar outflows.
Android customers would continue to pay for these services via mobile carrier billing, ending the uncertainty surrounding these services’ future.
Previously, it was stated that Android users in Pakistan had been prevented from purchasing premium applications or utilizing in-app paid services through mobile operator billing – a payment method using mobile credits — since the SBP has stopped payment of $34 million to international corporations.
In a statement issued on the ministry’s Twitter account, Aminul Haque, Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoIIT) said he wrote to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to direct SBP to unfreeze the funds.
He stated that the decision was made after extensive consultations with all parties involved.
All telecom providers sent a letter to the IT ministry a few days ago, expressing their apprehension that this issue will eventually appear.
