Tk 13,144 crore owed by 4 mobile operators: Telecom minister

The country’s four mobile operators owe a total of Tk 13,144 crore in outstanding revenue, Post and Telecommunications Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam told parliament today.

Replying to a question from MP Lutfor Rahman during the question-answer session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, the minister said Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd owes Tk 5,954 crore in licence fees, revenue sharing, spectrum fees, administrative fines and contributions to the social responsibility fund.

He said Teletalk's application to convert Tk 5,554 crore of the dues into equity is under consideration by the Ministry of Finance.

The minister said Grameenphone currently owes Tk 6,101.82 crore. He said the operator originally faced claims of Tk 8,494.01 crore arising from objections raised during a BTRC information system audit. Following court directives, the company paid Tk 2,000 crore in two instalments and later paid another Tk 392.19 crore in a VAT-related case. The remaining amount is pending, and the matter is being heard by the High Court.

Regarding Robi Axiata, the minister said the operator originally owed Tk 678 crore over objections to the information system audit. Under court orders, it paid Tk 138 crore in five equal instalments, including Tk 50 crore related to a VAT verdict. The case is pending before the High Court.

Robi also has a separate pending VAT liability of Tk 125 crore on revenue-sharing payments, and the case filed by the company remains under judicial consideration, he said.

For Banglalink, the minister said BTRC had claimed Tk 811 crore over information system audit objections. The operator paid Tk 166 crore and later another Tk 215 crore under a VAT verdict, bringing total payments to Tk 381 crore and leaving Tk 430 crore outstanding. The case is currently before the court.

He added that Banglalink also has Tk 125 crore in VAT arrears on revenue-sharing payments, and BTRC is in the process of filing a case over that claim.