State-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk is likely to get rebate on its 3G spectrum charges as the telecom ministry responded positively to an application by the company, said officials.
The telecom ministry on Wednesday endorsed the Teletalk application for rebate of around Tk 1,000 crore for 10MHz 3G spectrum, they said, adding that the endorsement is now awaiting final approval from the finance ministry.
The price for each MHz 3G spectrum was set at $21 million in an auction held by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission on September 8.
Teletalk was awarded the 3G licence and the assigned spectrum in October 2012 with a condition that the company will pay all the fees and charges set by the 3G guideline after the auction determines the price.
According to the 3G guideline, the wining companies have to deposit 60 per cent of the auction winning price in the taka or equivalent US dollar within 30 working days from the auction result notification and remaining 40 per cent in 180 days.
The company also have to pay Tk 10 crore as licence fees and five per cent value added tax on the total spectrum price.
‘We forwarded the application to the finance ministry as it deals with such monetary decision of the government,’ telecom secretary Abubaker Siddiqi told New Age on Wednesday.
In any case the money will remain with the government as Teletalk is a state-owned company, he said.
The four 3G auction winner operators — Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel — bought 25 MHz spectrum from available 40MHz by paying $21 million for each MHz whereas the opening base price was $20 million a MHz.
The government expected that it would net in revenue worth at least $800 million from four licences but it got only $525 million as the GP took 10MHz with $210 million, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel took 5 MHz each with $105 million.
The BTRC officials said the GP submitted Tk 979.65 crore as spectrum fee, Tk 10 crore as licence acquisition fee and 4.94 crore as VAT whereas Robi, Airtel and Banglalink paid 489.82 crore as spectrum fees, Tk 10 crore as licence acquisition fee and Tk 2.47 crore VAT as all three took 5MHz spectrum in the auction.
-With New Age input
