Budget 2019: Telecom Sector Wishlist For Finance Minister

India’s first woman Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present this year’s Union Budget today. This apparently would be her first major assignment ever since her appointment to finance ministry.

As usual, the government is expected to come out with fresh policies and amendments to existing schemes, impacting farmers to the middle class, entrepreneurs, professionals and corporates.

Investors have high hopes from the new government’s maiden budget against the backdrop of a strong election mandate.

Following are the pre-budget expectations of the telecom sector:

• The telecom sector has been burdened with high debt and increased costs.
• The Cellular Operators Association of India has sought exemption from the levy of customs duty, IGST and service tax on Right Of Way permission granted by the center, state governments and regulatory authorities.
• It has asked the govt to slash the overall levies from an estimated 30%, one of the highest in the world, to 4-5%.
• It has also sought more time to repay loans taken for spectrum in previous auctions, with an increase in moratorium period to 4 years and payment period to 18 years.―CNBC TV18