Tk 24,596.41cr earned from mobile phone companies: Tarana

State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim on Sunday said the government has earned Taka 24,596.41 crore in revenue from the country’s six mobile phone companies from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2016.

“We have a target of earning Taka 1,582.89 crore in revenue from mobile phone companies during the 2016-17 fiscal year,” she said while replying to a tabled starred question from treasury bench member Nurunnabi Chowdhury of Bhola-3 in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The state minister informed the House that the government earned Taka 11,360.48 crore in revenue from Grameen Phone, Taka 5,273.73 crore from Robi Axiata, Taka 5,208.03 crore from Banglalink, Taka 1,595.69 crore from Airtel, Taka 460.98 crore from the state own Teletalk and Taka 697.50 crore from Citycell from January 1, 2000 to June 30, 2016.

Replying to another question from treasury bench member Begum Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, Tarana said about 12.83 crore people of the country are now active mobile phone users, which is 80 percent of the total population.

She said the country’s 4,524 unions from 64 districts of the country are now under the networks of the mobile phone operators.

Source: BSS