e_Paper 7-11-2016

Business 13
BTRC switches Citycell on
• Ishtiaq Husain and
Ashif Islam Shaon
Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission
(BTRC)
has opened up
the spectrum of
Citycell Sunday
evening.
BTRC Secretary Sarwar Alam
confirmed the matter to the Dhaka
Tribune.
The process to open the spectrum
was initiated at around 6pm
and was opened a few minutes after
that, the BTRC spokesperson said.
Earlier in yesterday morning,
the Supreme Court asked the BTRC
to explain why it did not comply
with the court order of opening
spectrum for Citycell.
A four-member bench of the
Appellate Division headed by Chief
Justice SK Sinha sought the explanation
from the telecom regulator
Tax fair ends
today
• SM Najmus Sakib
The national income tax fair has
got a huge response from taxpayers
with a record revenue collection.
The National Board of Revenue
has received Tk1727,72,07,457 till
the sixth day yesterday as income
tax, compared to Tk1640,60,49,686
last year. The National Board of
Revenue (NBR) organised the fair
for the seventh consecutive year
with the aim to expand tax net and
increase revenue collection.
A record number of people received
service and submitted income
tax returns, e-filing process
at the fair and across the country.
Meanwhile till yesterday, some
1,49,994 submitted tax returns,
31,781 taxpayers got user identification
number and password to file
their online tax returns. A total of
7,77,194 people were provided with
different services from the tax fair.
State-owned Sonali Bank and
Janata Bank set up booths to help
taxpayers make financial transactions
at the fair.
NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman
said the tax fair had received huge
support and attention from taxpayers
which was beyond their expectation.
This was to raise awareness
among people about the significance
and benefits of paying taxes,
he added.
With the view to creating awareness,
the fair organiser was arranging
a special event for students
named “tax education forum”
which was also held yesterday like
every other day throughout the period
of the fair. •
Sunday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, Citycell’s
lawyer brought the matter to the
court’s notice.
Meanwhile, Tarana Halim, state
minister for Posts and Telecommunication
Division, yesterday said
Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (BTRC)
started the process to open the
Citycell spectrum.
“As the process is related with
technical system, it takes time.
Now, we are waiting for the certified
copy of Supreme Court needed
to open the spectrum,” said Tarana
in the afternoon.
“The court informed us verbally
and we have to respect the court
verdict as we are respectful to the
court.”
On Sunday the court wanted
an explanation from BTRC as to
why the regulator did not open the
Citycell spectrum despite its order.
On November 3, mobile operator
Citycell got the Apex Court’s
25 projects placed for Chinese
fund during Xi’s visit
• Asif Showkat Kallol
Bangladesh placed 25 development
projects worth $20bn for Chinese
funds during the visit of President
Xi Jinping, according to official
sources concerned.
Economic Relations Division
(ERD) officials said both governments,
however, signed a dozen of
joint-venture projects of $13.6bn
while negotiation continued for
other 13 projects.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
visited Dhaka last month.
The projects proposed for Chinese
funds include Padma bridge
rail link project (phase I and II),
Dhaka-Sylhet four-lane highway
project, Info-Sarkar project and
Dhaka-Ashulia elevated expressway,
marine drive expressway and
coastal protection in Sitakunda,
Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith
described Xi Jinping’s visit as a
“huge progress” in trade relation
between Bangladesh and the economic
powerhouse, China.
A number of 10 Chinese-funded
projects have already been approved
by the cabinet committee
on public purchase and economic
affairs committee.
The projects include construction
of tunnel under the River Karnaphuli,
Dhaka-Sylhet four lane
highway project and two phases of
the Padma Bridge rail link project
and installation of double pipeline
at the Single-Point Mooring (SPM).
The projects under ICT Division
include Development of National
ICT Infra-Network for Bangladesh
Government Phase III (Info-Sarkar).
Power Division projects include
the system loss reduction by replacing
5m electro-mechanical
nod to continue its operation till
November 19.
Within the date, it will have to
pay Tk100 crore to Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission
(BTRC) to continue its operations
and if it fails, the telecom
regulator may cancel its spectrum
again.
The court also ordered formation
of a special dispute resolution
committee to deal with the outstanding
bill that the CDMA network
operator owes to the BTRC.
A four-member bench of the
Appellate Division headed by Chief
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha on
Thursday asked the government
to immediately reinstate the spectrum
allocation and fix a fresh
deadline.
BTRC cancelled the spectrum of
Citycell on October 20 and shut its
offices after the operator failed repeatedly
to pay various fees.
Thereafter, the cellphone company
went to the apex court, seeking
its spectrum allocation back on
October 24.
BTRC had been saying that the
company owed it Tk477.69 crore
in spectrum renewal fee, annual licence
and spectrum fees, plus VAT.
But Citycell disagreed over the
amount, saying it should be much
less since the regulator’s method
of determining the amount was
flawed.
During Thursday’s hearing,
Citycell’s counsel told the court
that in their view, the due amount
is Tk216 crore, of which they have
already paid Tk144 crore in installments
as per a previous court directive.
Of the money, Tk14 crore was
paid to the National Board of Revenue.
Citycell is the only CDMA network
operating in the country. It
is currently owned by Singtel with
45% stake and the remaining 55%
by Pacific Group and Far East Telecom.
•
energy meters with electronic energy
meters and expansion and
strengthening of power system
network in the Dhaka Power Distribution
Company Ltd (DPDC) area.
The projects also include construction
of the broad gauge rail
track parallel to the existing metre
gauge line in Joydebpur-Mymensing
section. Officials said China was yet
to respond on funding four development
projects of Tk860.59 crore.
The projects are construction of
new inland container depot near
Dhirasram Railway station and replacement
of overloaded distribution
transformers, among others.
Other projects include Gazaria
350-megawatt coal-fired thermal
power plant, establishing digital
connectivity and construction of
the metre gauge railway track into
the broad gauge railway track in
Akhaura and Sylhet. •
DT
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2016
Govt to offload
more 10% stake
in Desco
• Kayes Sohel
The government is set to offload
additional 10% stake in Dhaka Electric
Supply Company Ltd. (Desco)
to mobilise funds.
According to a statement issued
by Bangladesh Power Development
Board (Bpdb) yesterday, the
government would offload 10% of
its stake in Desco.
Once the proposed stake is listed,
the total offloading shares will
stand at 35%, including existing
25% offloaded in 2006. Currently,
the government owns 75%, according
to the Desco website.
“As per the government instruction,
Bpdb is to sell 10% shares of
Desco out of its total holding of
293,104,259 shares of the company,”
said the statement.
The additional revenue gained
from the IPOs will help the government
increase capital infusion in
the public sector entity.
On Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday,
Desco share gained over 2%
to Tk53.4 a share.
Presently, another state-owned
power company Power Grid Company
of Bangladesh (Pgcb) is listed
on the stock market. Along with
Desco, the government offloaded
23.75% of its shares in Pgcb through
direct listing in the same year.
Recently, the government decided
to divest 25% shares of Liquefied
Petroleum Gas Corporation
Limited through stock market by
December next.
Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution
Company was the last
state-owned company that was
listed on the stock market in 2008.
After that, the government in
January 2010 selected 26 state
companies and instructed them
to offload shares in the next six
months. But since then, no companies
offloaded shares, despite repeated
deadlines and instructions
from the finance ministry.
Some other non-listed stateowned
power companies include
Dhaka Power Distribution Company
and West Zone Power Distribution
Company. •
Caab to remove all grounded aircraft of United Airways
• Ishtiaq Husain
Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh
(Caab) has taken a decision to remove
all grounded aircraft of United
Airways (BD) Ltd immediately.
“We are facing accommodation
problem as the currently functional
several airlines are bringing new
aircraft one after another. That is
why we have take the decision,”
said Air Vice-Marshal Ehsanul Gani
Chowdhury.
If the United Airways management
doesn’t take immediate step
to remove its aircraft, Caab will go
for action according to the rules,
added Ehsanul.
The country’s largest private
carrier, United Airways, suspended
its operation in January this year
due to insufficient aircraft and financial
crisis.
The airline, which has achieved
a number of awards since its inception
in 2007, had to suspend operations
in September 2014 due to
fund crunch.
According to its website, the
private carrier with 11 aircraft in
its fleet operated flights to eight
domestic and seven international
destinations. All the aircraft of the
airline are grounded now due to
technical glitches.
The last flight the airline operated
was an MD 83 aircraft that flew
to Kuala Lumpur in mid-January
which finally returned to Dhaka
after one of its engines was shut
down at mid-air.
Earlier, Mizanur Rahman, member
(finance) of the Civil Aviation
Authority, told the Dhaka Tribune
that the United Airways had not
paid its dues of aeronautical and
non-aeronautical charges worth
over Tk125 crore.
“Its management did not pay
heed to the repeated notices we
have issued. At one stage, they took
the issue to the court,” he said. •