Huge fund raising in telecom sector reinforces promoters' seriousness despite structural issues: COAI

10 May 2019 Evaluate

The industry body, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has said the huge fund raising exercise in Indian telecom sector through rights issue reinforces the seriousness of promoters and their continued faith in fundamentals and dynamics of the market despite adverse circumstances and structural issues that need to be urgently fixed. According to COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews, it shows the seriousness of the players to continue to fund their operations adequately.

Mathews has stated that companies are facing severe economic turbulence from issues that could have been fixed by the government, viz 30 percent levies and taxes that the government continues to extract from the industry. He noted that the industry has taken a responsible call to infuse fresh funds in some very adverse circumstances. Adding further, he said the players are showing their commitment to the long-term prospects of the sector, and their concerns around structural issues and licensing regime need to be fixed at the earliest.

COAI Director General also said “this type of rigidity which comes from a control-oriented licensing regime coupled with regulations which have to obviously support that rigidity...it becomes all the more difficult for mobile industry which is heavily focused on growth, technology and changes. I think we need to relook at this, quickly.” He also expressed hopes that the new government post-election, would set out a clear roadmap to ease the burden of levies on the telecom sector, and issues including cut in licence fee and spectrum charges would be taken up at the earliest.

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