BTRC revenue slips to four-year low

The telecom regulator's revenue slumped 59.26 percent year-on-year to Tk 4,109 crore last fiscal year -- a four-year low.

The earnings of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission also fell far short of the revised target for the year at Tk 6,902 crore. Initially the target was Tk 13,660 crore.

The regulator earned Tk 10,085.35 crore in fiscal 2013-14.

The revenue target for the current fiscal year has been set at Tk 5,300 crore, officials said.

The BTRC failed to hold a spectrum auction in time, which is partly to be blamed for the fall in its revenue.

"What we collected last year was actually our regular revenue," said Md Sarwar Alam, the spokesperson for BTRC.

"Earnings in fiscal 2013-14 were higher as the 3G spectrum auction was held that year."

Some state-owned companies such as Teletalk and Bangladesh Telecommuni-cations Company and some private firms owned by politically influential people owe a big amount of money to the BTRC, another official said, asking not to be named.

International incoming call termination rate was halved to 1.5 cents a minute and the revenue sharing structure has changed, which also affected the revenue, he said.

The BTRC informed the finance ministry that lower earnings from mobile phone operators impacted its total collection.

The regulator has already deposited Tk 4,050 crore to the state coffer for last fiscal year.

Mobile operators share 5 percent of their total revenue with the government. The BTRC also collects annual spectrum fees from operators and 40 percent of the income generated from international incoming calls.

Licence fees and fines are some other sources of income of the telecom regulator.