BTRC blasts GP for ‘hindering’ audit process

The telecom regulator on Wednesday asked mobile phone operator Grameenphone not to ‘hinder’ the ongoing audit to the company saying that the operator was not cooperating with the auditor.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission move came following a complaint from the auditor involved, Toha Khan Zaman & Co, that GP was not helping the audit though the auditor started its work three months back.
The BTRC in a letter to GP on Wednesday said, ‘GP should not try, by raising some irrelevant issues in a ludicrous manner, to hinder the lawful activities of the BTRC. It is expected that upon completion of the new audit the issues raised by GP regarding the previous audit will be resolved.’
The new audit will look into different financial matters of GP since its inception as an earlier BTRC audit on the operator in 2011 was declared illegal by the High Court as the appointment of the auditor was not done following a lawful process.
BTRC officials said the new auditor was appointed following a lawful process and the operator had no option to question it.
GP in a statement on Wednesday evening said, ‘We have received the letter [of BTRC], which we are assessing. We are not against audit. However, we requested BTRC to give us clarity on the status of the previous audit outcome, which is in the court system, before starting the new audit on the same period,’
GP in a letter to the BTRC on October 20 last year questioned the new audit process saying that as the claim of the previous audit in 2011 is pending with the court how the BTRC can conduct a new audit.
It said that non-cooperation with the auditor amounted to violation of the Telecom Act and the conditions of the licence of GP.
‘It is further noted that GP is repeatedly sending letters to the BTRC containing the same issue, which causes unnecessary lapse of time delaying the commencement of the audit,’ said the letter.
It also said that after completion of the new audit and considering the decision of the Appellate Division of the HC the commission would take the final decision.
Referring to the previous meeting on the issue, the BTRC also said the commission expect that GP would maintain a congenial approach and follow the standard to complete the audit.
Asked about the issue, BTRC chairman Shahjahan Mahmood told New Age that the commission was not happy with the GP’s role in the issue.
‘We have received complaints from the auditor and the matter was also discussed in the commission meeting. The commission is not happy with GP’s role [in this matter],’ he said.
GP, however, only acknowledged the receipt of the BTRC letter but declined to give any other comments on the issue.
‘We have received the letter from the BTRC. We are currently analysing the content of it,’ GP head of corporate affairs Mahmud Hossain told New Age.

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