The
telecom regulator has asked four mobile operators to deposit a combined amount
of Tk 857.46 crore in 10 days to renew their licences, an official of
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission said yesterday.
BTRC sent letters to the mobile operators -- Grameenphone,
Banglalink, Robi and Citycell, said Shahiduzzaman, director general of the
commission. “BTRC will start the renewal process as soon as the operators pay
the money,” he said.
Grameenphone
will have to pay Tk 396.2 crore, including Tk 146.82 crore in dues and late
fees since 2010, Shahiduzzaman said.
Banglalink will have to pay Tk 217.54 crore, Robi
Tk 199.49 crore and Citycell Tk 44.23 crore for licence renewal.
In November, the four operators paid a combined amount of Tk
3,177 crore as part of the first instalment of licence renewal charges.
The telecom operators were supposed to pay their renewal charges
on November 10, 2011, Zia Ahmed, chairman of BTRC, said on Thursday. “But they
did not do so and went to court,” he added.
So, the operators will have to pay an additional 15 percent
interest on the renewal charges in line with the telecoms law, Ahmed said.
Also, the 15 percent VAT deducted at source since 2010 and paid
to the National Board of Revenue, must be returned to BTRC by the telecom
operators, he said.
Officials of the companies refused to comment on the issue as
they received the letters after office hours.
The telecom operators used to make payments to BTRC after
deducting 15 percent as VAT to pay to NBR.
The High Court on Monday handed down a verdict asking
Grameenphone to pay the full amount to BTRC and an additional 15 percent to NBR
as VAT. But the operators will receive a rebate on VAT.
(C) thedailystar
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