Revenue sharing for telecomNEW DELHI: The new telecom policy is set to replace the existing licence fee regime in the basic and cellular telecom sectors with revenue sharing system, a bonanza for the cash-strapped private operators. The proposal envisages payment of 10-15 per cent of the total revenue earned by the service providers to the government under the new system. Highly placed government sources said the move has the support of prime minister's office and was not being opposed by finance ministry and telecom department. This is likely to form part of recommendations of the telecom sub-group of the information technology task force chaired by Planning Commission deputy chairman, Jaswant Singh following intense lobbying and representations from the beleaguered industry. The introduction of the revenue sharing system would result in foregoing of assured licence fees. This means a loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the government in the short run. The task force is likely to submit itsrecommendations by this months, while the policy is slated to be announced by December 31.Alcobev `98MUMBAI: Vijay Mallya, chairman of the UB group, said that the government has failed to listen to the legitimate demands of the industry and has used it as a milch cow. He was speaking at the Alcobev`98, India's first international conference and exhibition on the alcohol beverage industry in Mumbai on Wednesday. There was an urgent need for the regulators to chalk out a mutually beneficial policy, considering that the industry contributes Rs 18,000 crore as taxes, he said. ``Being a state subject, the differential treatment at the whims and fancy of respective state governments was making it difficult for the industry to survive,'' he added.
