Assuring of all kinds of facilities from the government, Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Abdul Latif Siddiquee invited more investment on Bangladesh’s mobile phone industry.
He made the call at a day-long workshop in Dhaka yesterday attended by representatives from different mobile phone companies.
In response, the firms urged the government to revise the country’s decade-old telecom policy in order to accommodate the technological development so that the sector here enjoys further growth.
Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) in cooperation with Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) organised the workshop on “Realising the potential of mobile in Bangladesh.”
“We are the field of investment. You (operators) make investment here and we (government) are ready to monitor all sorts of necessary facilities what you require, and we will provide,” the minister told the opening ceremony of the event.
Latif Siddiquee said: “Operators said they have invested Tk50,000 crore in the country, but the investment for who’s interest? You have made the investment as there is business. You would invest not only Tk50,000 crore but also Tk50,00,000 crore if there is opportunity of business.”
Terming the operators as development partners of Bangladesh, he said: “Your business will be affected if the country’s economy is distressed, business will be unstable if political situation is unstable. You have partly responsibility to resist them who are trying to create instability in the country.”
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose said the consumers have no trust on the mobile operators as they are deprived of necessary supports from them.
Irene Ng, Asia Regional Head of GSMA, said the mobile phone industry has already contributed a great deal towards economic and social development in Bangladesh.
She also said reforming legislative and policy framework in Bangladesh is a key component to make a start in this regard.
Grameenphone CEO VivekSood said the mobile financial services are spreading fast and the mobile operators should to be appreciated for that.
“There are talks about whether or not the mobile financial services should be a bank-led model or telco-led model. This services are using our (mobile operators) network and that should be recognised,” he said.
Banglalink CEO and AMTOB Chairman Ziad Shatara said the country’s taxation system for telecom industry has to be more investors-friendly in order to take the country towards next level of technological advancement.
According to AMTOB Secretary General TIM Nurul Kabir, Bangladesh has one of two worst tax regimes in the world for the telecom industry.
