Economic Reporter :
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said the country’s leading mobile phone operator Grameenphone has no alternative to paying Taka 12,579 crore dues unearthed through an audit.
Talking to BSS, BTRC Chairman Md. Jahurul Haque on Wednesday said the Grameenphone is legally bound to make the payment of the outstanding amount unearthed by conducting an audit.
“The audit has been conducted complying all legal and other aspects fully,” he asserted, as the operator has raised questions terming the audit “unfounded and without any legal basis”.
In replying to a query, Haque said the commission had finalized the audit procedures in consultation with Grameenphone. “So, it (Grameenphone) is legally bound to pay the money.”
Officials said the telecom regulator is mulling to force the operator to pay the outstanding amount following legal procedures such as stopping issuance of NOC, putting cap on customer base and temporary ban of license.
They said the regulator in the first week of the current month (April) sent a notice to Grameenphone asking to pay Taka 12,579.95 crore as dues and the operator was given two weeks to pay the unpaid amount.
Of the total unpaid amount, Grameenphone owes Taka 8,494 crore to BTRC while the remaining Taka 4,085 crore to National Board of Revenue (NBR).
Officials said BTRC had sought the unpaid amount from the Grameenphone conducting an audit to the operator’s books from its inception until June 2015.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said the country’s leading mobile phone operator Grameenphone has no alternative to paying Taka 12,579 crore dues unearthed through an audit.
Talking to BSS, BTRC Chairman Md. Jahurul Haque on Wednesday said the Grameenphone is legally bound to make the payment of the outstanding amount unearthed by conducting an audit.
“The audit has been conducted complying all legal and other aspects fully,” he asserted, as the operator has raised questions terming the audit “unfounded and without any legal basis”.
In replying to a query, Haque said the commission had finalized the audit procedures in consultation with Grameenphone. “So, it (Grameenphone) is legally bound to pay the money.”
Officials said the telecom regulator is mulling to force the operator to pay the outstanding amount following legal procedures such as stopping issuance of NOC, putting cap on customer base and temporary ban of license.
They said the regulator in the first week of the current month (April) sent a notice to Grameenphone asking to pay Taka 12,579.95 crore as dues and the operator was given two weeks to pay the unpaid amount.
Of the total unpaid amount, Grameenphone owes Taka 8,494 crore to BTRC while the remaining Taka 4,085 crore to National Board of Revenue (NBR).
Officials said BTRC had sought the unpaid amount from the Grameenphone conducting an audit to the operator’s books from its inception until June 2015.
