GP generates $1.5b in value addition

Grameenphone generated about $1.5 billion of gross value addition in 2015, which is equivalent to 0.8 percent of Bangladesh's total value addition and 30.8 percent of the information communication sector's.

The direct GVA generated by each full-time employee for Telenor in Bangladesh stood at $169,623 in 2015, which is almost 23 times higher than the national average labour productivity per full-time employee, as per the Norwegian telecom giant's Global Impact Report. Telenor owns 55.8 percent of Grameenphone.

In 2015, Bangladesh's leading mobile operator directly employed 4,728 full-time staff and created an additional 169,000 indirect jobs through its supply chain.

“For every job that Telenor generates directly in Bangladesh, an additional 61 are created in the wider Bangladeshi economy,” the report said.

Between 2014 and 2015, the operator contributed $640 million to the national exchequer, according to the report conducted by KPMG.

“It is encouraging to see how Grameenphone operations have made a significant impact on the social-economic growth of the people as well as on the key financial indicators of the country,” said Petter B Furberg, chief executive officer of Grameenphone.

As the operator shifts its focus on transforming the digital landscape in Bangladesh, even greater social empowerment and development are expected, he said. “Telenor has committed to its journey in Bangladesh and we at Grameenphone are proud to play a core part of this nation's enlightenment,” Furberg added.

Over the last five years, Grameenphone has invested $1.18 billion, of which $248 million was invested only in 2015.

Grameenphone also contributed $24 billion to the national economic growth between 2011 and 2015 with its subscription base of over 56 million, according to the report.

Its BillPay service processed 8.8 million transactions in 2015, generating total value of $325 million.

Through its provision of mobile services in the country, it also enabled an estimated $8.5 billion of mobile financial transactions that year.

Additionally, Grameenphone enrolled 5.71 million customers in its free micro-insurance service 'Nirvoy Life Insurance' in 2016.

In 2015, the customers of the operator generated 108 billion voice minute calls with 15 billion text messages.

The company operates 2G and 3G network and its network infrastructure includes 5,487 kilometres of fibre and more than 10,068 base-station sites, all of which have 3G and 4G capabilities.

As part of its 'Internet for All' ambition, the operator's mobile data subscribers shot up 45 percent to 15.7 million between 2014 and 2015.

Telenor also ran the same kind of study in India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Thailand.

In six countries in Asia, Telenor generated $9.6 billion gross value addition and worldwide $20.3 billion.

Telenor's total global investment stood at $3.2 billion in 2015, including $3.1 billion of capital expenditure.

The report also analysed contributions of Telenor's 13 markets across the world, including six in Asia. “In Telenor, we believe that connected societies are empowered societies,” said Sigve Brekke, president and CEO of Telenor Group.

In a changing digital landscape, it is imperative that governments, businesses and organisations work together to develop frameworks that stimulate growth and create shared value, he added.