Robi-Axiata, the second largest mobile operator of the country, yesterday paid Tk 10 crore VAT out of Tk18.72 crore to NBR, the mobile operator evaded in VAT, NBR officials said.
“Robi, under fire from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), has paid Tk 10 crore along with the invoice at the NBR office at noon. The rest of the amount will be paid soon,” Badruzzaman Munshi, assistant commissioner of NBR, told The Independent yesterday.
Robi was facing freezing of its bank accounts, has paid due Value Added Tax (VAT) of Tk 18.72 crore, which it earlier had evaded, he added.
The Independent contacted Robi yesterday to get its comment about the matter but despite several attempts, the spokesperson of the telecom operator Ekram Kabir did not respond.
Earlier, upon getting that assurance from Robi, the country’s second largest telecom operator, NBR on Thursday withdrew its order of freezing all of Robi’s bank accounts.
Robi’s pledge and the NBR’s withdrawal were earlier triggered on the same day by an Appellate Division decision of upholding the NBR’s order.
In an order, the Appellate Division stayed for three days the High Court (HC) order that stayed the NBR’s decision to freeze Robi’s bank accounts.
After hearing on an appeal filed by NBR against the HC order, the four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order. Barrister Tanjib-ul Islam moved for Robi while Deputy Attorney General SM Moniruzzaman represented the state during the hearing.
Earlier contesting that NBR sanction-issued by its Large Tax Unit (LTU)-Robi on last Tuesday went to the HC and obtained a stay order from HC to release its bank accounts.
A day earlier on Monday, Matiur Rahman, Commissioner of LTU sent a letter to all the Managing Directors of the banks, asking them to freeze Robi’s bank accounts for three days. The VAT Act 1991 has empowered the national exchequer to freeze bank accounts of an organization for a certain period for wrongdoings including intentional evasion of taxes.