Sim Registration Verification
BTRC to get NID database access from EC
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has got green signal from the Election Commission for accessing the national ID database to verify users’ data given by the mobile phone operators, said BTRC officials.
According to the BTRC officials, the commission initiated the move as mobile phone operators often provide fabricated information about SIM registration which becomes impossible to verify because of the volume of physical data.
In many cases the operators can make delay in paying their fines and dues as the regulator cannot verify the data given by the operators, they said.
‘The EC informed us today that we have to sign a memorandum of understanding to get the access in the NID database. Now we will put the issue before the commission for final approval,’ a BTRC official told New Age on Sunday.
He said currently the National Board of Revenue was working on SIM replacement tax issue which was also facing complexity as the mobile phone companies used to keep records in physical form.
‘We found huge number of unregistered SIMs during raids to detect illegal VoIP connections. When we imposed fine for unregistered SIMs the mobile operators sent a huge number of registration papers which are practically impossible to examine,’ he said.
He said the telecom regulator in early June requested the EC to allow the BTRC the access in the NID database.
‘Now we have made input of national identity card info mandatory for registration during sales of SIMs. So they have NID numbers in the form. So by getting access to the national database we will be able to verify SIM registration info,’ he said.
The National Board of Revenue is also currently working on the SIM replacement tax as it found evidence that four mobile phone operators — Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel — evaded tax worth more than Tk 3,000 crore by SIM replacement.
The country’s four mobile phone companies are also yet to pay the fine worth Tk 6.29 crore imposed for selling unregistered SIMs which were mostly used for running illegal VoIP business.
According to BTRC notice on August 14, 2012, Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel were asked to pay Tk 6.29 crore for selling SIMs without registration.
The Airtel was fined the highest amount among the four of Tk 2.55 crore for selling 6,188 unregistered SIMs.
The GP was fined Tk 1.7 crore for selling 2,617 unregistered SIMs, Banglalink was fined Tk 1.59 crore for selling 3,857 unregistered SIMs and Robi was fined Tk 53 lakh for selling 1,309 unregistered SIMs.
-With New Age input
