Aamra Technologies owes Tk 25 crore to BTRC

Aamra Technologies Limited, an internet gateway service provider, and a listed firm on the bourses, owes around Tk250,985,000 crore to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (BTRC).

This amount includes last year's license fee, revenue sharing, late fees and taxes.

In the past, the company has been accused of not paying the dues due to various pretexts including political influence.

According to BTRC authorities, whenever BTRC takes initiative to realise the dues, Aamra Technologies sometimes requests payments in installments. As soon as Aamra gets BTRC's approval, the company demands the number of installments to be raised. Later, it seeks late fee waiver benefit and then again requests to pay it in installments.

Top officials of the BTRC alleged that the company has been delaying payment of dues making different excuses. In such circumstances, BTRC is considering effective measures to collect dues from Aamra Technologies.

Earlier in July, 2022, BTRC blocked 50 percent of the company's bandwidth capacity as it failed to pay arrears of Tk 41.99 crore despite repeated notices. However, it managed to pay Tk20 crore at the end of that month.

After getting the payment, the regulatory body lifted the bandwidth-block. Later, BTRC allowed the company to pay the rest dues of Tk 29.88 crore in 24 monthly installments.

Aamra then paid 10 installments and again stopped the payments of the rest installments. BTRC again issued notice in November 2023 to realise the remaining amount of Tk12.45 crore.
Aamra again requested the BTRC to issue them 36 installments to pay the dues.

However, BTRC rejected the plea and blocked 80 percent of its bandwidth capacity in December, a month later. The company again applied for BTRC's consideration.

This time, BTRC gave it a scope to clear a one-time payment of Tk10 crore and offered 18 installments to pay the remaining amount.

But Aamra couldn’t make it. As a result, BTRC capped 100 percent of the company's bandwidth earlier this year.

In June this year, Aamra wrote to BTRC and requested the regulatory body to grant them three installments so that they can pay Tk16.24 crore out of Tk22.64 crore. The remaining amount will be paid in 25 monthly installments.

Now BTRC makes it rather easier to get their According to the approval from the BTRC, Aamra had to pay Tk8 crores in one time payment and the remaining amount will be paid in 25 monthly installments.

But, Aamra didn’t grab the opportunity. Rather, the company offered Tk5 crore one-time payment. The remaining amount would be paid in 36 installments with a late fee waiver.

Later in September, Aamra again sought withdrawal of the bandwidth capping. It requested BTRC that the company would start paying the dues in 48 installments after six months of withdrawal of the bandwidth block.

Contacted, Syed Farhad Ahmed, MD and CEO of Aamra Technologies said: "There are some disputes in clearing the dues. We are waiting for a new decision on this."