AGR: COAI urges govt to offer telcos 10-15 years for settlement of dues

This formula of easier payment schedule to meet statutory obligations would offer the much-needed reprieve to telcos such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, whose combined liabilities after the recent SC verdict run into billions of dollars, according to the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI).

COAI Director General Rajan Mathews said the industry requires a debt package for payment of past statutory dues with a two-year moratorium, as in the case of payment made for spectrum bought in auctions.

“Give telecom companies 10-15 years for payment of the full adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, a two-year moratorium and an interest rate at interbank borrowing rate levels that is at around 4-5 per cent,” Mathews said. There could be an upfront payment of about 15 per cent, which is equivalent of the principle AGR amounts, he added.

“The government will easily get Rs 15,000-20,000 crore only through upfront payments from large operators,” Mathews said. This will be a “reasonable” payment schedule for the crisis-ridden telecom industry, as it would allow them to invest money into network expansion and new technologies, the COAI said. Fifteen telecom companies owe the government Rs 92,642 crore in unpaid licence fee and another Rs 55,054 crore in outstanding spectrum usage charges. These liabilities arose after the Supreme Court in October last year held that non-core revenues have to be considered for calculating statutory dues from adjustedgross revenue (AGR).