GP, BL pay 152 cr taka to NBR as 4G VAT

Telecom service provider Grameenphone and Banglalink have paid Tk 152 crore as Value Added Tax (VAT) on their spectrum acquisition fee for 4G.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) deposited the amount to the Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), said a NBR official. But, Robi did not clear the VAT worth Tk 17 crore. Reports BSS.

‘Last week, Grameenphone and Banglalink paid Tk 152 crore to BTRC. This amount was handed over by a cheque to the LTU on Monday,’ LTU commissioner Md Matiur Rahman said.

He said the mobile phone operators had to pay VAT before introducing 4G service, but they did not do so. The LTU filed cases against them, he said.

Grameen and Banglalink paid a total of Tk 151 crore, the first installment of VAT on their spectrum acquisition fee for 4G on Monday, he added.

The LTU commissioner said if Robi fails to pay TK 17 crore VAT by next week, its bank account will be frozen.

BTRC handed over 4G/LTE license on February 19 to mobile phone operators which started offering the fasted internet services on the same day.

On February 13 last, the government collected Taka 5,268 crore by selling 15.6 Megahertz (MHz) of spectrum to Grameenphone and Banglalink through auction as well as conversion fee for technology neutrality.

Banglalink acquired a total of 10.6 MHz spectrum -- 5 MHz in 2100 band and 5.6 MHz in 1800 band with Taka 2558 crore while Grameenphone took 5 MHz only in 1800 band at a price of Taka 1,284 crore.

Besides, Taka 850 crore came as spectrum conversion fee for technology neutrality.

AH