GP gets approval to collect Tk1.0b outstanding bills

Country`s leading mobile phone operator Grameenphone has received approval for collecting outstanding bills worth around Tk1.0 billion from its postpaid customers by appointing third party.
The dues stuck at some 5,75,000 accounts since the beginning of the company`s operation in 1997 till date.
In response of the Grameenphone`s appeal, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) considered the operator plea for appointing third party in dues collection on condition of keeping customers` information secure.
Chief Corporate Officer Mahmud Hossain told the media that "After getting necessary approval from the regulator recently, his company will be able to collect outstanding bills from their customers."
At this stage, the operator will complete appointment of a company to realise its dues. Then, the GP will share information about the defaulting post-paid subscribers, who have already switched off their mobile sets, with its appointed agent to trace out the defaulter subscribers.
Sources said most of the bills dated from the beginning of the company. However, the company has to follow a set of rules to collect the dues according.
Besides, the mobile phone operators will have to reveal how much money they have collected as security money from the customers and that should be returned to the respective customers.
At present, the leading operator is dealing with 49 million active customers across the country.