Telecom sector seeks 5-yr tax regime to spur investment

Speakers at a programme on Saturday urged the government to introduce a predictable five-year tax structure and long-term policy reforms for the telecom sector to encourage investment and accelerate digital transformation.
The call came at a roundtable titled "Future of the Telecom Sector: What the Government is Thinking", organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh at InterContinental Dhaka.
Prime Minister's Adviser Rehan Asif Asad said the government was working on a long-term and predictable reform of the telecom tax structure for the next five years in response to demands from operators and investors.
He also hinted at a major telecom-related announcement in the upcoming national budget and said a broader policy roadmap was being prepared to help Bangladesh become a trillion-dollar economy and secure a place among the world's top 20 telecom nations by 2035.
According to him, the government aims to increase the telecom sector's contribution to GDP from 8 per cent to 15 per cent.
Presenting the keynote paper titled "Shaping the Era of Telecom: Bangladesh Perspective", Robi's Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Sahed Alam stressed the need for urgent policy reforms, including a predictable revenue structure for long-term investment, modern spectrum policies and faster approvals through a single-window system.
He said Bangladesh had achieved significant progress in connectivity but had yet to emerge as an innovation hub due to outdated regulatory frameworks and policy bottlenecks.
"If Bangladesh wants a true digital economy capable of generating high-value jobs and increasing GDP growth, telecom policies must be modern and investment-friendly," he said.
Posts, Telecommunications, Information Technology and Science Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said the government was prioritising 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), fibre-optic expansion and cyber security.
He announced plans to establish AI and freelancing training centres at the upazila level and reiterated that the government had no plans to privatise Teletalk Bangladesh Limited.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Md Emdad Ul Bari said telecom policies were being reshaped to protect consumer interests and maintain market balance.
"There will be no monopoly under the new licensing system," he said, adding that the regulator was preparing a National Connectivity Master Plan. Former Bangladesh Competition Commission director Khaled Abu Naser warned that nearly 91 per cent of market profits were concentrated in a single company, raising concerns over market dominance.
Among others, Mohammad Zulfikar, T I M Nurul Kabir, Lutfa Akter, Nurul Mabud Chowdhury and Taimur Rahman also spoke at the discussion.
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