The telecom regulator will open fresh audits into mobile phone operators by next year, its chief said yesterday.
Seven international firms have submitted their offers to conduct the audits in association with local audit companies, said Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
“The appointment process is going on and will be completed by next year. The audits will start soon after,” he said.
The regulator had earlier appointed several audit firms to audit top two operators -- Grameenphone and Banglalink, but the bid failed.
Grameenphone had rejected the audit report and taken the matter to the apex court, saying the audits were not conducted in accordance with norms. Two firms were tasked with auditing Banglalink, but they later declined to do so.
Bose sat with reporters to clear his position over media reports on the detection of financial anomalies worth Tk 6,195 crore at statutory bodies, ministries and state-run banks.
The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) came up with the amount, of which, the most irregularities in terms of money took place at the BTRC.
Bose said the issues will be disposed of at the public accounts committee of the parliament.
He said, initially the CAG office raised audit objections involving more than Tk 4,000 crore against the regulator but later the amount came down to Tk 2,628.28 crore after correspondence between the two institutions.
On awarding licence to mobile operator Warid Telecom, now Airtel, he said there were no anomalies as the BTRC had the authority to provide licence in any method.
The auditors of the CAG office said the BTRC gave the licence to Warid without an open auction, although it had earlier decided to award licence to land and mobile phone operators through open biddings.
The BTRC was also found guilty of realising less fee during transfer of 70 percent shares by Warid Telecom to Airtel Bangladesh Ltd. It cost the government Tk 76.96 crore, according to the audit reports.
Bose said the telecom law does not say anything about realising any fee for share transfer of a company. The regulator decided to impose a charge by an order, which was later cancelled by another order, he said.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/mobile-operators-to-face-fresh-audits-next-year-52046
