[Reader-list] Reply to Taj Hashmi (Zafa/Rumi/NGO)

[NAEEM MOHAIEMEN]

Here are 3 replies to Taj Hashmi, from ongoing debate
going on at Drishtiipat.org and Uttorshuri, two of the
forums where Hashmi has posted his allegations.

####################
From: Zafa Noor 
http://www.drishtipat.org/blog

To answer Hashmi’s question;
“Do you think Grameen Phone should have paid due
income tax to the Bangladesh Government?”


here are some facts that came from none other than
Iqbal Quadir (who conceived the idea of Grameen Phone)

Some clarifications first:
There is no such thing as Grameen. There is a bank
called Grameen Bank (GB).
Grameen Bank officers (not owners ) have created a
non-profit foundation called Grameen Telecom. It
administers the 250,000 village retailers who sell
telephone services in 55,000 villages.
Grameen Telecom and Telenor together own GrameenPhone
Limited (GPL).

GPL is probably the largest corporation in Bangladesh
in terms of revenues, probably above $1 billion this
year. It is definitely the largest tax-paper in the
country. In 2005, it paid to the government at least
$200 million in VAT, corporate taxes, license fees,
other fees, interconnection charges etc. That is Tk
1400 crores . This year, it is probably going up by
50%.

####################
From: NGO employee in Dhaka

Hi Naeem
 
I've read some of this guy's posts. So full of factual
inaccuracies as not to be dignified with any response.


I would say to him does he really think 15 million
plus people in BD can be duped into participating in a
system that is of no benefit to them especially in
absence of any legal binding.

Please. What a waste of time.
 
Should probably jot down my thoughts on these events
when my head is clearer. Let's see....
####################

From: Rumi Ahmed

Re: [dp_admin] A Culture of Dialogue


Do you remember Shumon, when visiting Grameen we asked
this same questions, as put forward by Dr Hashmi,
repeatedly to different level of Grameen leadership
and employees starting from Dr yunus. There answer
were not at all of dismissal as not worthy of
response. They tried their best to answer all the
critique, point by point. To me some were convincing,
some were not.
 
I see Grameen more as a social movement rather than
merely a banking platform. That makes me not focus on
interest rate too much.
 
And BTW, If Dr Hashmi can come up with a better one
and show us the fruits, I'll definitely give it a try.
 
Rumi


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