BTRC, GP sit today to resolve standoff over audit report

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FE Report Telecom regulator and Grameenphone (GP) will sit today (Monday) in an apparent attempt to end a row over the non-payment of dues by the cellphone company. The meeting is being convened after the demand of Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to clear an arrear of Tk 30.34 billion piled up since the inception of the country's largest mobile operator by users. Of the total amount, Tk 21.465 billion has remained outstanding with the commission and the rest of Tk 8.875 billion with the National Board of Revenue (NBR). In a letter dated October 5, the BTRC invited the operator to present its case at the meeting to be held at the commission's office. GP, however, said that the findings of the report were not "correct" and it was based on wrong information. On October 4, the telecom regulator asked the GP to repay Tk 30.34 billion (Tk 3,034 crore) in dues with 15 per cent compound interest by 24 October this year or face action. The BTRC has detected anomalies after reviewing the operator's financial report and relevant documents between 1997 and March 31, 2011. The anomalies include the manipulation of data, hiding the actual number of subscribers, SIM tax, spectrum charge, voice SMS, Internet services, and the sharing of outgoing call revenues.