Tk 607.90 crore revenue realized from six mobile phone companies

The government has realized Taka 607.90 crore as revenue from the six mobile phone companies in the last fiscal year, Post and Telecommunication Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Razu told the House today.

"Besides, the Board of Revenue (NBR) has been realizing various taxes and VAT from the mobile phone companies," he said in reply to a question from BNP lawmaker Nazim Uddin Ahmed.

Razu told BNP lawmaker Ashrafuddin Nizan that the state-run Teletalk Bangladesh Limited paid Taka 56.12 crore as revenue to the government in the last fiscal year.

Responding to another question from treasury bench member Golam Dastagir Gazi, the telecom minister said six mobile phone companies have been providing services to the people of the country.

"The mobile phone users are now talking at the cost-effective rate as there is a competitive environment among the mobile phone companies. So there is no plan at this moment to provide new mobile phone licences," he said.

Answering to another question from ruling party lawmaker Anwar Hossain, the telecom minister hoped that it will be possible to provide VoIP call termination licenses from the current month or the next month if necessary formalities including amendment to laws and framing of guidelines are completed.

Responding to another question from BNP member Ashrafuddin Nizan, he said the invest of the five PSTN telephone operators which were shut down by the BTRC till August 2008 was Taka 664 crore.

Of the amount, he said, Dhaka Telephone Compnay Ltd invested Taka 122 crore, Ranks Ltd Taka 240 crore, National Telecom Ltd Taka 146 crore and Peoples Telecom Taka 156 crore.

The telecom minister further said the government is actively considering reinvestment of the huge amount of money through the telephone operators.