Telcos seek ITC refund of ₹35,000 cr, GST waiver on licence fee in Budget

Telecom operators are seeking a refund of around ₹35,000 crore in input tax credit (ITC), reduced levies and GST waiver on licence fees and spectrum usage in the upcoming Budget. In its pre-Budget recommendations, telecom industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) also asked the government to suspend universal service obligation fund (USOF) to reduce burden on service providers.