Licence renewal fee installment
Three mobile cos deposit Tk 2,372cr in fees, VAT
Mobile companies Grameenphone, Robi and Banglalink on Thursday gave a total sum of Tk 2,372 crore to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission as the second instalment of licence renewal fee, spectrum charge and VAT.
However Citycell submitted an application to the BTRC on the day, seeking extension of the payment deadline by two more months, said an executive of the company on Thursday evening.
Leading operator GP deposited around Tk 1,081 crore including around Tk 940 crore as renewal fee for 2G licence and spectrum charge and Tk 141 crore as VAT.
Banglalink deposited around Tk 657 crore and Robi deposited around Tk 634 crore in fees, charges and VAT, said officials.
BTRC chairman Zia Ahmed told New Age that it was encouraging that the three mobile companies had settled their arrears and their image would consequently improve.
He, however, COMPLAINED that neither had Citycell deposited its fee nor had anyone from Citycell contacted the BTRC till he left the office in the evening.
An executive of Citycell said that they had sent a letter seeking extension of time and BTRC’S chairman might get it on Sunday, the next working day.
The mobile operators, who on August 7 renewed their licences for 15 years with effect from November 2011, were supposed to deposit the second instalment of the fees and charges on August 1.
But the telecommunications ministry asked the BTRC to extend the deadline to August 31 as the mobile operators claimed that they were facing fund constraint.
The companies in November 2011 deposited the first instalment amounting to Tk 3,200 crore as their licences expired that month.
But the renewal of their licences was held up because of the legal battle between them and BTRC over the payment of VAT along with fees and charges.
Finance minister AMA Muhith, after a meeting with representatives of the operators, BTRC and the National Board of Revenue, on July 26 said that 2G (second generation) licences would be renewed by August.
The mobile companies may get rebate on VAT as per the decision of the July 26 meeting.
Courtesy of New Age
