The International Gateway operators in Bangladesh owe the country’s telecom regulator around Tk1,900.85 crore, with the state-owned BTCL alone having dues of over Tk950 crore, the government has said.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has taken a massive initiative to collect the outstanding amount by filing separate cases under the Public Demands Recovery Act, said Obaidul Quader, the road transport and bridges minister who is also assigned to answer questions placed to the Post, Telecommunications and ICT Ministry at the parliament.
Of the total money left unpaid by the IGWs, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) owes the BTRC Tk954.46 crore, six blocked IGWs owe Tk588.63 crore, while 22 running IGWs owe another Tk357.76 crore.
Obaidul told the parliament that government high-ups were considering taking an initiative about collecting money from the BTCL as well.
Before the revision of an existing guideline on September 18 last year, an IGW could earn $0.03 a minute from an incoming international call but had to share 51.75% of it with the BTRC. The outstanding amount mentioned by the minister had been accumulated before the amendment of the guideline.
On another note, Obaidul also told the parliament that the government has taken a project to install 3G network at upazilas and growth centres across the country, in order to increase 3G subscribers within the next two to three years.
“The government has already introduced 3G services in all divisional cities and district towns before the stipulated period of the 3G license holders,” Obaidul said while replying to a question from treasury bench member M Abul Kalam.
The minister also said around 1.08 crore subscribers are enjoying 3G services as of November 2014.