DHAKA: Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) urged the government to withdraw SIM tax and SIM replacement tax to keep the development of telecommunication sector in the country unhurt.

The organization also urged to review high rated corporate taxes.

AMTOB secretary general IM Nurul Kabir said at a press conference at Hotel Rupasi Bangla in city on Wednesday.

He said their services will face a challenge if government does not pay heed to the appeals of the mobile phone operators.

Tax imposition will increase service rates, he added.

Mobile operator Robi’s chief operating officer Mahtab Uddin Ahemd, GrameenPhone director Ishtiaq Hussein Chowdhury, Airtel chief of corporate affairs Ashraf H Cowdhury, Banglalink acting chief financial officer Shamsuddin Ahmed and Citycell official Nishat Ali Khan, among others, spoke at the conference.

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed said the sale of SIM will reduce if this sort of taxes is imposed. It will also decrease government’s revenue earning.

According to him, from 20 to 25 percent of SIM replacement is done every year.

He comments that 3G networking will be affected if taxes on imported mobile phone sets are not reduced.

Ashraf H Chowdhury said that mobile operators have invested four thousand crore taka to expand 3G networking.

Taxes in the proposed budget will hamper the expansion, he added.

BDST: 1439 HRS, JUNE 11, 2014