New Delhi: Vodafone Idea has written to the government seeking help to pay the balance AGR dues.The same letter also is written to Niti Aayog and Finance Minister seeking facilitation of the payment. VIL has dues of Rs 53,000 crore towards AGR though its self assessment is apparently a much lower figure.
Its methods include adjustment of Rs 8,000 crore of GST refund towards AGR, payment of penalty, interests and interests on penalty in a staggered period.
It also seeks immediate introduction of floor rate for tariffs, cut in licence fees from 8% to 3% and spectrum usage charges to 1% from 3%, moratorium of three years, then a 15-year payment tenure and lower rate of interest of 6%.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is taking a call on relief to telcos in respect of the payment towards AGR dues. "Meetings have taken place. DoT is taking a call. We will have to wait for Department to take the call," she said at an event where she met PSU bank chiefs.
Reports suggest the Digital Communications Commission may meet on Thursday to discuss relief measures possible for the telcos in wake of huge AGR dues on them.
The meeting will be chaired by DoT Secretary Anshu Prakash and Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant may be present among others. DEA Secretary Atanu Chakraborty, who is also a member of the Commission, may not attend it as he is travelling.
