Operators demand tax relaxation, policy revision
The consumers have no trust on mobile operators as they do not the get the required support from operators, said Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission chairman Sunitl Kanti Bose. At a daylong workshop, organised by global association of telecom operators GSMA in cooperation with Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, the mobile operators also said the government need to relax the tax regime and manage the spectrum release effectively.
‘When consumers go to the operator with a problem, they don’t take responsibility and ask them to go to the regulator. The consumers face difficulties to find us and when they come to us we see that the problem should have been solved by the operator,’ he said while speaking on the occasion.
He said the operators were not trusted by their consumers, ‘The operators need to come out of this situation,’ he said.
The BTRC chairmen also said that the mobile phone services are so diversified these days which make it difficult for one regulator to control.
‘Lot of new services are introduced and the innovation is going on. The multi-dimensional service also connects other regulators with the telecom industry,’ he said.
Mobile phone operators said that there is enormous potential in Bangladesh and with the help of government it will flourish further for the betterment of the people.
‘For digital inclusion to take place in Bangladesh, reforming the legislative and policy framework is a key component of what needs to happen. In particular, we look forward to the 1998 National Telecoms Policy to be updated to keep up with changing technology and for mobile enabled solutions in the areas of health, education and financial inclusion to be provided to all,’ said GSMA Asia region head Irene Ng.
Grameenphone chief executive
officer Vivek Sood said the mobile financial services are spreading fast and the mobile operators should be appreciated for that.
‘There are talks about whether or not the mobile financial service should be a bank-led model or telco-led model. This service uses our network and that should be recognised,’ he said.
He said the updating of NTP is on the process and it should be formulated considering the 20 years of industry perspective.
Banglalink CEO and AMTOB chairman Ziad Shatara said that the taxation of the telecom industry needs to be more investor-friendly in order to take the country to the next level of technological development.
He said coordination among the different regulatory agencies will help the telecom operators and the industry.
AMTOB secretary general TIM Nurul Kabir said that Bangladesh has the second worst tax regime in the world for telecom industry.
‘The telecom industry alone brings more than fifty per cent of the foreign direct investment to the country and we really need a tax regime which comforts the investors,’ he said.
Telecom minister Abdul Latif Siddique said that the mobile operators were investing huge amount of money because they see scope for profit.
‘You bring investment because you see opportunity and profit. We have a land of opportunity. The government will surely help the industry if needed,’ he said.
Telecom secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury, Robi CEO Supun Weerasinghe, Airtel CEO PD Sharma and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services president Shameem Ahsan, among others, also spoke on the occasion.
-With New Age input
