Finance Minister AMA Muhith will sit with top executives of the telecom regulator, revenue board and operators today (Thursday) to discuss the long-standing disputes over payment of SIM replacement tax.
The ministry of finance has convened the meeting as mobile phone operators had earlier sought the minister's intervention in settling their dispute over outstanding SIM taxes worth Tk 30.12 billion with the NBR (National Board of Revenue).
The row over payment of the revenue caused a delay in holding the spectrum auction, which has been rescheduled for May 20, insiders and officials said.
"This time, we're hopeful of having an amicable solution to the long-pending dispute," secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) TIM Nurul Kabir said adding that the today's meeting is to find a way-out a solution in this connection.
Mr Kabir told the FE that Mr Muhith will chair the meeting, where telecom secretary, finance secretary, the NBR chairman and chief executive officers of all mobile operators will be present.
The industry leader said it is a very crucial meeting of the telecom sector as participation of the operators in the upcoming spectrum auction largely depends on settlement of the issue.
"Operators can't participate at the auction until or unless the authorities resolve the crisis," the association leader said.
Earlier, the NBR, Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and the finance ministry made efforts to find an amicable solution to the issue, but failed.
Mr Kabir said previous efforts went in vain because of subsequent developments in terms of implementing the government's commitments, decisions and conclusions have fallen far short of reasonable expectations.
In February 2012, NBR filed 'oniyom mamla' (irregularity complaint) against four operators. In response to irregularity complaints, the operators filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC).
Previously, the major parent bodies of the local telephony firms in a letter expressed their 'inability' to ask their local mobile operators for participation in the upcoming auction unless the government settled a number of regulatory affairs.
BTRC has already completed groundwork to hold the mega auction for 15 megahertz (MHz) and 10.6MHz in the respective slot of 2100MHz and 1800 MHz.
According to the guidelines, the government has fixed US$ 30 million as the base price for per MHz in 1800 band and $ 22 million for per MHz in 2100 band.
Following a demand from the mobile operators, the telecom regulator has shifted the date of auction to May 20 from April 30, 2015.
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