There are no plans to revise mobile call rates
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said that there is no plan to revise the current mobile call rates. At the same time, the minister also said that four mobile companies have paid revenue of Tk. 3,178 crore 91 lakh to the government in the financial year 2022-23.
Mustafa Jabbar informed so while answering the questions and inquiries at the question-answer session of the 24th session of the 11th National Parliament on Monday (September 11).
In the session chaired by Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, in response to the Government Party Member of Parliament of Chapainawabganj-1 Constituency to Dr. Samil Uddin Ahmed Shimul’s question, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications said that the current prevailing mobile call rate has been determined by analyzing the market, socio-economic context, and so on.
He said, mobile operators have to design packages between tariffs for on-net and off-net voice calls in a specific package/offer/bundle. Although the maximum rate is 2 taka, the operators design different packages at a rate of less than 1 taka per minute through competition among themselves.
In a written reply to a question of the Naogaon-2 Constituency Government Member of Parliament Md. Shahiduzzaman, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications said that, Total 4 mobile companies operating in the country. In the financial year 2022-23, the companies paid a revenue of Tk. 3178 crore 91 lakh to the government. Besides, due amount is Tk. 7 thousand 692 crores 67 lakhs. Grameenphone’s outstanding amount is the highest, that is- 6 thousand 101 crores 81 lakhs. In second place, Banglalink has Tk. 880 crore 15 lakh, Robi Axiata has Tk. 539 crore 76 lakh and Citycell has Tk. 170 crore 95 lakh outstanding. The outstanding amount of Teletalk is Tk. 127 crore 36 lakh.
In response to the same question, Mustafa Jabbar further said, regarding Teletalk’s 3G spectrum assignment fee, the Finance Department, Ministry of Finance was requested to take the necessary measures for conversion of 1 thousand 585 crores 93 lakhs into equity through the Posts and Telecommunications Department.
In view of this, no instructions have been received from the Ministry of Finance so far and the process of collection of Tk. 30 crore 20 lakh for spectrum charge, Tk. 43 crore 81 lakh for revenue share and Tk. 47 crore 35 lakh for SOF is in progress.
Meanwhile, in the discussion on the copyright bill in the session, Member of Parliament of Thakurgaon-3 constituency Hafiz Uddin proposed to prevent copying on Facebook, YouTube and mobile. He also demanded to stop obscenity through these means.