New requirement introduced by Tajikistan’s communications service agency this year costs mobile phone companies operating in the country totaling 1 million somoni per quarter.
Mobile phone companies operating in Tajikistan now pay to the Communications Service 20 dirams per quarter for each non-activated SIM card.
Representatives of the mobile phone operators say the communications service agency introduced payment for non-activated SIM cards at the beginning of this year.
“The point is that mobile phone companies pay SIM cards from the Communications Service. If customer stops using SIM card, it is resold or remains inactive on company’s balance sheet. We now should pay for each non-activated SIM card to the Communications Service 20 dirams per quarter,” an official source in one of mobile phone companies told Asia-Plus in an interview.
As of January 1, 2016, a total number of mobile phone subscribers in Tajikistan was more than 11.2 million people. After the mandatory reregistration of all SIM cards that concluded in the country in summer 2017, the number of active SIM cards decreased to 6.1 million.
If the mobile phone operators should pay for 5.1 million non-activated SIM cards companies at the rate of 20 dirams for each per quarter, it will cost them totaling 1.020 million somoni per quarter and 4.080 million somoni per year.
