Telecom operators demand tax cut

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni speaks at a seminar on the “mobile sector as partner for a Digital Bangladesh” in Dhaka yesterday.Photo: STARStar Business Report

Telecom operators have demanded the government reduce tax for the sector in line with its pledge to make a digital Bangladesh by 2021.

To achieve this goal, government's support for the information and communication technology sector is needed to reach out such technology to the mass at affordable costs, they said.

Meanwhile, the telecom operators have been asked to to run their business with transparency.

"The idea of digital Bangladesh will usher a new chapter. However lots of things need to be done to achieve the goal," Oddvar Hesjedal, chief executive officer of Grameenphone, said at a discussion on 'Mobile Sector as Partner for Digital Bangladesh'.

Bangladesh Computer Samity organised the discussion on the sideline of 'BCS ICT World' fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

Raihan Shamsi, acting chief finance officer of Grameenphone, and Zakiul Islam, president of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators Bangladesh (AMTOB), presented two separate keynote papers.

In the presentations, they said Bangladesh's tax regime is the highest among South Asian countries, which is not even match with the government's dream of a digital Bangladesh.

Citing an study the AMTOB president said if government waives Tk 800 tax on SIM (subscriber identity module), Bangladesh mobile subscribers will reach 95 million by 2013 from today's 51 million.

Speaking as chief guest Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni said every operator should disclose their financial status, be it is profit or loss.

"No one should engage in illegal business," the minister said, adding that illegal business devalues the telecom sector to the people.

Digital Bangladesh means empowering people through technology, said HT Imam, adviser to the prime minister. He said telecom operators should publish earning figures along with expenditure.

Zia Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Telecom-munication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) urged the telecom operators to give priority to the betterment of people than making profits.

He said BTRC is ready to extend all support to the operators to achieve the target of a digital Bangladesh.

Mostafa Jabbar, president of BCS, chaired the discussion.