Bangladesh Telecommu-nication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) decided to ask Robi Axiata Limited again to clear Tk 3.06 crore in late fees within 15 day, BTRC official said.

BTRC at its latest meeting took the decision as Robi is yet to clear Tk 3.06 crore in late fees that was imposed on the mobile phone operator by the commission for a delayed payment of merger fees and spectrum amalgamation charges.

“The penalty was imposed on Robi for a delayed payment of merger fees and spectrum amalgamation charges in connection with the operator’s merger with Airtel in November last year,” a senior official of BTRC said.

To this end, the BTRC has decided to issue a letter to Robi within this week asking the mobile phone operator to clear Tk 3.06 crore in late fees within 15 day, he said.

When asked, BTRC chairman Shahjahan Mahmood did not make any comment on the issue.

Although Robi cleared the merger fees and spectrum amalgamation charges (Tk 407 crore) within the November 25, 2016 deadline, the operator paid the telecom regulator Tk 53.08 crore in other charges and fees in April 30, 2017, the official said. Due to the delayed payment of Tk 53.08 crore, the commission slapped the fine on the operator, he said.

The BTRC earlier in August this year issued a letter in this regard asking the operator to clear the late fees within 15 days.

The operator, however, refrained from paying the amount stating that the operator cleared merger-related payments within November 20, 2016 based on its understanding following discussions with the state minister for posts and telecommunications and the BTRC chairman that the merger fees and spectrum amalgamation chargers were inclusive of advance income tax and value-added tax.

The operator became surprised when the telecom regulator demanded additional Tk 109 crore including VAT, it said.

The issue was later placed before the state minister and she instructed the BTRC

chairman to look into the matter, and it was quite unrealistic for Robi to clear any payment during the discussion, Robi’s reply to the BTRC said, according to the commission meeting.