Dhaka, March 20 -- The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) on Wednesday urged the government to remove VAT on SIM and e-SIM to do easy and foster development in the telecom sector.

In its budget proposals to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), AMTOB said eliminating VAT on SIM access packages, particularly in rural areas, would make them more affordable and financially viable for mobile operators. This, in turn, would support Bangladesh's digital transformation and boost the industry's development.

The proposal comes at a time when mobile internet subscriptions declined by 1.31 crore in the seven months to January, dropping to 11.60 crore.

Industry insiders attribute the decline to a 50 percent hike in SIM ta...