KATHMANDU, April 9: The ban on the social networking site TikTok in Nepal has started taking toll on telecom companies operating in Nepal, resulting in a loss of revenue amounting to Rs 3 billion for both NTC and Ncell.

KATHMANDU, March 9: Ncell, a mobile service provider in Nepal, along with Marie Stopes International Nepal (MSIN) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), have launched a nationwide awareness campaign aimed at tackling cervical cancer in Nepal.

KATHMANDU, March 2: Ncell has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with e& international to bring the best-in-class digital experiences, drive knowledge-sharing activities, and collaborate on delivering key services, products, and platforms in Nepal.

KATHMANDU,  Feb 27: Ncell has announced the release of its latest app update, aimed at improving user experience and accessibility to services.

KATHMANDU, Feb 23: Ncell emerged as the leading contributor to both royalty and the Rural Telecommunications Development Fund (RTDF) in the last fiscal year.

KATHMANDU, Feb 7: Ncell, a private sector telecommunication service provider in Nepal, has introduced the Double Majja Pack for all its customers.

KATHMANDU, Feb 5: Ncell, one of the key private sector players in the telecommunications sector in the country, has extended its best wishes to Nepal Telecom on the occasion of its 20th anniversary today.

KATHMANDU, Jan 30: A probe committee formed to carry out study regarding the sale and purchase of shares of Ncell, the telecommunication service provider company of private sector, has submitted its report to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' at Singha Durbar on Monday.

KATHMANDU, Jan 24: The High Court, Patan, has given continuity to the short-term interim order that it had previously issued in the case related to tax evasion in the transaction of shares of Ncell, a private sector telecommunication company of Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Jan 11: Ncell in collaboration with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) has further strengthened the communication for the Early Warning System (EWS) by expanding the coverage in both hydrological and meteorological disasters. On Wednesday, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to this effect.

KATHMANDU, Dec 19: The hearing on the writ petition filed by member of parliament (MP) Amresh Kumar Singh who has been waiting for his turn in the Supreme Court for a week and a half, against Ncell has started today. The hearing started at the single bench of Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut.

In the shivering winter cold, the decision by Axiata to exit from Nepal has created a heated debate amongst Kathmandu-centric intellectuals (politicians, lawyers, academics, activists and former bureaucrats). However, there is more smoke than fire and/or light in the emotionally charged debate. At the one end of the spectrum, the ultra-nationalistic adrenaline is running high calling how the country is being duped by foreigners and is put on sale. At the other end, pragmatic calls are made not to irritate and disturb foreign direct investment (FDI).

KATHMANDU, Dec 12: The current Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's connection and contact with the operating partners of private telecommunications had blossomed when he became the country’s PM for the first time, leading the government formed after the election of the first Constituent Assembly. Addressing a gathering of journalists close to the CPN (Maoist Center) on Monday, PM Dahal said that he had learned about the Ncell share sale while in Dubai and formed a committee to investigate it upon returning home.

KATHMANDU, Dec 11: The writ petition filed by member of the House of Representatives, Dr Amresh Kumar Singh, against the case of Ncell share purchase and sale in the Supreme Court, has been scheduled for hearing by the single bench of Justice Binod Sharma.

The acquisition and sale of businesses in Nepal have lately been shrouded in an atmosphere of doubt and suspicion, leaving the public questioning the integrity of such transactions.

KATHMANDU, Dec 9: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered Ncell to appear before the court on Sunday.

KATHMANDU, Dec 8: The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives is going to call Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on December 11 to discuss the sale of Ncell.

KATHMANDU, Dec 7: Patan High Court has issued a short term interim order to not proceed with the controversial transaction of Ncell shares.

KATHMANDU, Dec 7: Various concerns have arisen surrounding the transparency of Ncell's share purchase and sale transactions, a private telecommunications company with foreign investment in Nepal. Ncell has asserted that the enterprise value of the 80 percent of shares sold by Axiata to Spectralite UK amounts to approximately 400 million US dollars or Rs 53.20 billion.

KATHMANDU, Dec 6: Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA), the regulatory body overseeing telecom companies in the country, has made it clear that the recent sale and purchase of Ncell's shares is questionable and will be investigated.

KATHMANDU, Dec 6: Analysts and political leaders have expressed concern over the Axiata’s controversial exit from Ncell stating that it might seriously affect the inflow of foreign direct investment to the country in the future.

KATHMANDU, Dec 5: A meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives will be convened to discuss the sale of shares of Ncell. According to the committee’s  Secretary Ekram Giri, the meeting is scheduled for 2PM on Wednesday.

KATHMANDU, Dec 5: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has warned of public protest if attempts are made to settle the controversial Ncell deal at the higher political and bureaucratic level.

KATHMANDU, Dec 5: Amid rising concerns over Malaysia’s telecommunication conglomerate Axiata Group selling its shares of Ncell, a leading private sector telecom company of Nepal, speculation is rife that the group might have made the alleged move to prevent transfer of Ncell’s ownership to the government along with securing its profits fully in the long run.

‘Ncell cannot sell its shares without the government’s consent’

KATHMANDU, Dec 4: Axiata has carried out opaque transactions while selling the 80 percent stake it owned in Ncell. The shares were sold at a low price with the aim of evading taxes without informing the regulatory authorities of Nepal. Stakeholders have said that there was an attempt to evade capital gains tax in the purchase and sale of Ncell in 2016, and even now they are trying to evade revenue by buying and selling shares in an opaque manner.

KATHMANDU, Dec 4: The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has started an investigation over Axiata's exit from Ncell on suspicion of possible evasion of taxes by the company.

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has initiated an investigation into Axiata Group's exit from Ncell, amid suspicion of potential tax evasion. The controversy surrounds Axiata's sale of 80 percent stakes in Ncell to Spectrlite UK for a seemingly undervalued amount of US$ 50 million (Rs 6.5 billion).

KATHMANDU, Dec 2: The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has asked Axiata, the parent company of Ncell, to follow legal procedures after the multinational company announced an exit from Nepal’s telecommunications sector without duly informing the government authorities concerned.

KATHMANDU, Dec 1: Malaysian telecommunications and digital conglomerate Axiata Group on Friday announced it will sell 80 percent of its stakes in Ncell to Spectrlite UK.

KATHMANDU, Nov 29: Axiata Group Berhad has decided to leave Ncell.

KATHMANDU, Nov 5: Ncell Axiata Limited has announced immediate financial support of Rs 5 million for the rescue, treatment, and relief of earthquake victims.

KATHMANDU, Sept 24: In celebration of its 18th anniversary, Ncell Axiata Limited has joined hands with the Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) to embark on a mission to enhance the greenery of the Kathmandu Valley. Under this collaborative effort, Ncell helped in planting over 200 trees along the Bagmati Corridor in Ward 1 of LMC.

KATHMANDU, Sept 17: Ncell celebrated a remarkable 18-year journey of transforming lives and communities through connectivity and its telecommunications services in Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Aug 11: Ncell, a leading private telecommunication service provider of Nepal, has reportedly agreed to support the government's efforts to access highly confidential data of citizens in the name of controlling crime through new provisions.

KATHMANDU, July 13: After the revocation of Smart Telecom's license, the anticipated tender process for its asset management and license sale has hit a roadblock. Despite the government taking ownership of Smart Telecom and initiating a global tender process for its license sale, the process is yet to commence. The asset management committee, headed by Gokarna Mani Sitaula, a member of the board of directors of Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA), had intended to call for the tender. However, sources within the NTA indicate that the process remains stagnant.

KATHMANDU, June 14: A cabinet meeting held on Tuesday decided to extend thanks to all those who made efforts from the Nepal side in a case filed at the international commission regarding Ncell case.

KATHMANDU, June 11: The government has won the case against Axiata Group, the parent company of Ncell, in the dispute over the settlement of the capital gains tax.

KATHMANDU, May 18: Global Shapers Community Kathmandu in collaboration with Ncell Axiata Limited (Ncell) will be hosting SHAPE South Asia at Hotel Himalaya, Lalitpur from Friday.

KATHMANDU, April 22:The license revocation process of Smart Telecom, initiated by the Nepal Telecommunication Authority, has been stalled for some time. The process has been stalled after the Patan High Court issued a short-term interim order not to implement the decision to cancel the license of Smart Telecom.

KATHMANDU, April 17: While the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) has advanced the process of asset management to take ownership of Smart Telecom Company by the government, Ncell has prepared to buy it at the price of scrap value. After the government took ownership of Smart and started the auction process, Ncell started the bid to extend its service period by participating in it. It is said that Ncell is in the strategy of buying the telecommunication service provider company Smart Telecom Company and not transferring ownership to the government by extending its deadline.

KATHMANDU,  April  7:  The proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Act 2053 have met with significant resistance from employees. During internal discussions held within the Ministry of Information and Communication over the past few days, employees expressed vehement opposition, arguing that the draft bill would not serve the best interests of the nation.

KATHMANDU, April 1: The draft bill to amend the Telecommunications Act has removed the provision that Ncell will be owned by the Government of Nepal in 2029. The provision in sub-section 1 of section 25 of the Act has been deleted in the draft bill. Section 25 of the existing Act mentions the period and renewal of the permit. In sub-section 1 of the same section, the period of the permit is said to be 25 years at most.

KATHMANDU, March 31: A private sector telecommunication service provider, Ncell, which should supposedly come under the government’s ownership after 2029 as per the existing laws, will not come under the ownership of the government as manipulations are being made in the draft bill being introduced to bring amendment to the existing Telecommunication Act, 1997.

The move by the government to expedite the process of introducing new telecommunication laws with controversial provisions that seek to benefit cellphone giant Ncell has raised concerns. It appears that Ncell is trying to manipulate the existing law, and the government seems to be more than willing to help it do so.

The 25-year license period that Ncell obtained on September 1, 2004, is expiring in September 2029. As per the existing Telecommunication Act, 1997, after the expiry of the license period, Ncell will come under the ownership of Nepal government if it chooses not to limit its foreign ownership to less than 50 percent.

KATHMANDU, Dec 8: Ncell has said that its network has experienced disturbance on Thursday due to multiple optical fiber links breakage in Butwal-Bardaghat and Damuali-Abhukhaireni areas as a result of ongoing road expansion works.

KATHMANDU, Sept 1: Ncell Axiata Limited has received Nepal’s Fastest Mobile Network Award for January-June 2022 from Ookla®, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence.

KATHMANDU, August 8: Ncell Axiata Limited on Sunday announced the relaunching of its ‘Sahi Yo’. The feature of this pack is Free access to Instagram, My5 Service, and various digital services

KATHMANDU, July 6: Ncell Axiata Limited has inaugurated the Ring Road’s Green Belt on Tuesday which is built and maintained by the company as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.