GP-Robi Administrator: FICCI worried at govt move
The Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has expressed deep concern over the government’s move to appoint administrators for Grameenphone and Robi to realise their dues of Tk 13,446 crore.
The chamber has also decided to write to the government policy makers expressing its concern in this regard within a day or two, TIM Nurul Kabir, executive director at the FICCI told The Daily Star yesterday after a meeting of the executive committee.
Several members of the committee said it would set a bad precedent for the future investors in Bangladesh if the government finally stick to its decision to appoint administrator for the two mobile operators, Kabir said.
According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s audits into the two operators’ books from their inception until December 2014, Grameenphone has Tk 12,579.95 crore pending and Robi Tk 867.24 crore.
In the meantime, the global association of mobile operators also raised concern about the process the issue was being handled.
Telecom Minister Mustafa Jabbar said, “We know the multinational companies have that capacity to send concern letters by using different international organisations, and we are quite ready to accept it.”
On October 17, the High Court issued an ad-interim injunction for two months against the realisation of Tk 12,579.95 crore from Grameenphone.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy asked the authorities concerned to settle the dispute over the telecom regulator’s claim. He also said he would prefer an out-of-court settlement if possible.
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