EGoM tentatively resolves issues of one-time fee: Sibal

NEW DELHI: A high-powered ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram has “tentatively resolved” all issues concerning a proposal to levy one-time fee on existing telecom operators, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal said.
A final decision based on the recommendations of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) would be taken by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later this month, he said without elaborating.
“We had a two-hour meeting. We have tentatively resolved all the issues. We are now moving to the Cabinet and will try and get it to the Cabinet on October 16, if possible, so that the matter can be finalized,” he told reporters here.
The EGoM, in its previously meeting on October 3, could not take a decision on levy of the one-time charge in absence of a legal opinion from the Attorney General on the issue.
Refusing to comment on the decisions taken by the EGoM, Sibal said, “Till the matter goes to the Cabinet, I couldn’t possibly tell you the details of the decision but all the issues placed that were placed before the EGoM have been resolved.”
The DoT had earlier made four proposals to the Cabinet on one-time fee – no charge; levy a one-time fee on all airwaves held by existing telecom companies; impose a fee on airwaves held beyond the start-up spectrum of 4.4 MHz; or levy a fee on airwaves held beyond the contracted spectrum of 6.2 MHz. -PTI