The government has completely withdrawn the 300 Taka tax on mobile SIM cards, as announced in the 2026-27 budget. Now, a 15 percent tax will be levied on the price at which SIMs are sold. The aim of this initiative is to make mobile services more accessible to the general public, resulting in lower SIM prices.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury announced this in his budget speech on Thursday afternoon. He noted that the current tax rate in the telecommunications sector is around 50 percent, and in the information technology sector, it is around 25 percent. These rates are significantly higher compared to other countries, so the government has taken the initiative to gradually reduce these taxes to a reasonable rate to develop the sector.
The Finance Minister further said, 'As part of the tax reduction initiative, I am proposing to completely withdraw the 300 Taka tax on each mobile SIM to make mobile services more accessible to the general public.' However, this decision will result in a significant revenue loss for the government. According to the Finance Minister, the withdrawal of this tax will reduce revenue by approximately 1,200 crore Taka in the upcoming fiscal year.
Sources from the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology say that the government aims to develop the ICT sector as a top priority. To this end, extensive reforms are being made in tax, VAT, and licensing policies.
Mobile operators have welcomed the proposal to withdraw the SIM tax. Tanveer Mohammad, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Grameenphone, said, 'Grameenphone welcomes the proposal to withdraw the SIM tax in the national budget... A roadmap for gradually reducing taxes in the telecom sector, including corporate income tax and supplementary duties, would be even more effective.'
Sahed Alam, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Robi Axiata, said, 'We welcome the proposal to withdraw the SIM tax in the national budget. The withdrawal of the SIM tax will bring nearly 40 percent of the population, who are still not connected, under digital connectivity. This will increase their access to education, healthcare, financial services, and various economic opportunities.'
Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer of Banglalink, said, 'We welcome the initiatives taken by the government to recognize the telecommunications sector as a national thrust sector and reduce certain taxes. These steps will help accelerate digital inclusion, attract investment, and further advance the country's digital transformation.'
