BANGLADESH

After losing a court battle against Grameenphone, the telecoms regulator is writing to the top mobile-phone operator asking for nearly Tk 4 billion, including late fees, to renew its 2G licence.

"The account of Grameenphone's dues in licence renewal and spectrum fees and dues [in late fees] since 2010 have been finalised," Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) chairman Zia Ahmed told on Tuesday.

"A letter asking them to pay the dues will be sent to Grameenphone [Wednesday]," he added.

The BTRC chairman said the work to finalise accounts of dues of other operators Banglalink, Robi and Citycell is underway. "Letters will be sent to them, as well."

Their licences will not be renewed until they pay up the dues, Ahmed, a retired brigadier general, said.

A senior BTRC officer, seeking anonymity, said the amount of Greenphone's dues totalled Tk 3.965 billion.

He said the amount includes Tk 2.492 billion, including late fees, in dues for first instalment for fees for licence renewal and spectrum allocation and Tk 1.47 billion in dues as late fees from 2010.

The late fee for the first instalment of Grameenphone's licence renewal and spectrum allocation is Tk 95.6 million and the late fee for the dues from 2010 is Tk 151.6 million, the officer said.

"Grameenphone gave the first instalment of fees for spectrum and licence renewal, excluding 15 percent tax at source, in November 2011. The dues totalled Tk 2.492 billion as late fee was charged from then," he said.

The operator has been paying annual licence renewal fees, revenue and spectrum fees, excluding 15 percent tax at source, since 2010, he said. "So it will have to pay dues of Tk 1.47 billion, including late fees."

The BTRC chairman said on Monday that Grameenphone's licence will be renewed once it pays Tk 2.4 billion.

Grameenphone moved the High Court when the BTRC in a letter on Oct 17 asked the leading telecom operator to pay dues in spectrum fees.

The operator said the regulator claimed Tk 2.36 billion 'extra' fees for 7.4 MHz spectrum for the year 2008. The High Court on Monday said Grameenphone's assertion was legal.

The court, however, declared valid the BTRC claim of dues in fees for 14.6 MHz spectrum.