BUDGET impact
Telcos start charging higher tariff
Staff Reporter
Mobile phone operators started charging subscribers a hiked tariff from Thursday, the day Finance Minister AMA Muhith placed the proposed budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year. In the proposed budget, the finance minister suggested an increase in the supplementary duty from the present 3 per cent to 5 per cent. Shortly after the announcement, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) without having the patience to wait for the MPs to pass the proposal which would have otherwise been effective from July 1 for 2016-17FY. According to sources, officials of several mobile companied had to work overnight on Thursday to retune their system to the new billing system for each customers soon after they received the SRO. The subscribers would gradually be informed about the new tariff plan by SMS. Currently, the highest call rate is Tk 2 per minute but a caller pays Tk 2.39 after 15 per cent VAT and 1 per cent surcharge on top of a 3 per cent supplementary duty. In terms of the new tariff plan, the cost will now stand at Tk 2.44 with the supplementary duty raised to 5 per cent. As a result, the government plans to complement its coffer with an additional Tk 4.5 billion annually in revenue.
