Govt may reduce tax on SIM card

The government may reduce tax on SIM (subscribers identity module) card from Tk 800 to Tk 300 in the next budget, sources said.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), after consultation with mobile phone operators, has conveyed its proposal for tax reduction on SIM card to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the sources added.
Presently, the mobile phone operators provide subsidy to their customers on SIM cards. Almost all the operators sell SIM card at less than Tk 100.
“The tax on SIM card is abnormally high,” BTRC Chairman Maj Gen (retired) Manzurul Alam told The Daily Star yesterday.
“The tax on SIM should be reduced to make way for further expansion of telecommunication industry,” he added.