Robi agrees to pay tax after SC cleared way for NBR to block its accounts

Robi has agreed to pay Tk 190 million in taxes by Sunday after a top court order went against the mobile operator.

Chief Economics Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 1 March 2018, 12:41 PM
Updated : 1 March 2018, 01:04 PM

“Robi has provided a written statement where it said they will pay the evaded taxes by Sunday,” Commissioner Matiur Rahman, who heads the Large Taxpayers’ Unit of National Board of Revenue, told bdnews24.com.

The NBR also reversed its Feb 26 order to freeze bank accounts maintained by Robi.

Robi went to the High Court against the NBR’s move to block the bank accounts and secured an order in its favour on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Appellate Division cleared the way to block the mobile operator’s accounts after the NBR challenged the High Court decision.

Following the top court’s order, the mobile operator agreed to pay the due taxes.

“Robi agreed to pay as they’ve understood that they will lose the legal battle,” said NBR Commissioner Rahman.

Rahman said Robi CEO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed assured him via a mobile text message from abroad that the company would settle the dues in taxes ‘quickly’.

Rahman said he also received a letter from the Robi CFO promising that they will pay the money on Sunday if the NBR unfreezes their bank accounts on Thursday.

The telecom operator also promised to pay all other dues to the government, the NBR commissioner said. “I hope Robi will keep its promise and pay the dues to the government.”

“If they break the promise, we will take tough measures.”

Robi earlier denied the tax dodging allegation, saying the issue with the NBR was ‘a long-running dispute’.