Grameenphone, BTRC locked in tussle over auditing exercise

Grameenphone and the Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) are locked in a tussle over the audit of the mobile phone service provider’s business operations.

Auditing firm Toha Khan Zaman and Company has not been able to begin work even three months after being commissioned by the BTRC because of Grameenphone’s lack of interest.
 
The BTRC has written to the company, saying its refusal to cooperate went against the terms of the contract.
 

The auditors are to examine Grameenphone’s equipment imports and revenues, to compare them with declarations made to the BTRC. 

BTRC Chairman Shahjahan Mahmud told bdnews24.com that legal action would be taken against the mobile phone service operator if it refused to cooperate.

Grameenphone’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Mahmood Hossain, however, told bdnews24.com that Grameenphone was not against the audit but had sought clarifications in connection with a High Court order concerning an earlier audit.

But BTRC chairman maintained that the present round of scrutiny was an independent initiative and had no link with the previous one.

Post and Telecommunication Secretary Md Faizur Rahman Chowdhury said at the Secretariat on Thursday: “It is true we have taken the step. The audit team will also let us know.”

As per audit report of 2011, Grameenphone owes the government Tk 30.34 billion.

When asked whether the previous report would be scrapped, Minister of State for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim said: “Let the BTRC give its opinion.”

“All operators have to be audited. There are no friends or foes,” she added.

The court had stayed the 2011 audit exercise after the mobile phone operators objected to the procedure adopted.