Dhaka, June 11 -- The government has decided to withdraw the Tk 300 "SIM tax", a longstanding demand from the telecom sector.

However, it has also imposed a 15 percent value-added tax (VAT) on the supply price of SIMs or e-SIMs in the budget for fiscal year 2026-27.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said on Thursday, "To develop ICT (Information and Communication Technology) as a thrust sector, the government has taken extensive initiatives to reform tax, VAT and licensing policies in this sector.

"Currently, the tax rate in the telecom sector is about 50 percent and in the information technology sector it is about 25 percent. This rate is much higher than in other countries around the world.

"Therefore, the government has...