Investigation committee concludes that the purchase and sale of Ncell shares can’t be accepted as it is

Kathmandu – The committee formed to investigate the purchase and sale of shares of Ncell has submitted a report to the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The 5-member investigation committee formed under the coordination of former Auditor General Tankamani Sharma Dangal concluded that the purchase and sale agreement of Ncell cannot be accepted as it is.

Taking the report of the inquiry committee formed under the coordination of former Auditor General Tankamani Sharma Dangal, the Prime Minister said that the report will help the government to take the right decision.

It has been mentioned in the committee’s report that since Ncell started its business in Nepal, it has made 80 million foreign investments and 20 million domestic investments, and has earned more than one billion in profit annually and has taken more than 68 billion abroad under various headings. Similarly, it has been seen that the matter of more than 85 billion rupees that Ncell has to pay to the government of Nepal in taxes and non-taxes form is pending in different levels of courts.

The report says that the transaction mentioned in the Ncell Axiata share purchase and sale agreement between Axiata Group and Spectralite UK on 1 December 2023 is not based on the principle of equal commercial behavior and the seller side is dominant and has placed more than normal conditions on the buyer side. It has been mentioned in the report submitted by the investigation committee that the agreement cannot be considered as a favourable agreement as it is seen that conditions such as the right to sue, the company’s debt and liability are not on the seller.

The Secretary of the Government of Nepal Phanindra Gautam, Joint Secretary Baburam Bhandari, Joint Secretary Hrides Kumar Shakya, President of ICAN Sujan Kumar Kafle were in the investigation committee.

Government acquires Smart Telecom assets after non-payment of dues

April 17, Kathmandu – The government has brought the property of Smart Telecom under the control of the government for non-payment of license and service operation arrears.

After Smart Telecom’s license was canceled due to non-payment of arrears, the board meeting of the regulatory body Nepal Telecommunication Authority decided to bring Smart Telecom’s property under the ownership of the government. According to the Telecommunication Authority, Smart Telecom did not pay 4 billion 19 million rupees in arrears until the financial year 2075/76 and did not show any account for the next 3 years.

Earlier, the authority had decided to cancel the license of Smart Telecom on Shrawan 13, 2076 BS for non-payment of dues.

Political Distribution in Selection of Ambassador : More than Hundred appointed in One Day

The cabinet meeting held on Thursday has appointed all the vacant government posts from ambassadors to the staff of the commission on the basis of political affiliation.

It is said that it has been decided to fill all the vacancies as the election code of conduct will be applicable soon. The meeting of the Council of Ministers started at 4 pm and lasted till 8 pm yesterday.

The cabinet meeting has also appointed Sunil Poudel as the managing director of Nepal Telecom, who was said to be involved in the controversy over the purchase of security press during his tenure as an executive director of the national information technology center. Similarly, Sudhir Rai and Sangin BC have been appointed as the two board members of Nepal Airlines Corporation while Basant Kumar Pandey has been appointed as the general manager of Hetauda Cement Industry.

Kashiraj Dahal has been appointed as the chairman and Keshav Raj Acharya as the member of the problem cooperative management committee. Similarly, the ruling coalition has formed land commissions in 77 districts on the basis of allotment.

Likewise, yesterday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers has recommended 12 persons, including eight joint secretaries of the Foreign Service, as ambassadors. Nepal has 30 embassies in different countries, three permanent missions to the United Nations and six consulates general.
Currently, 10 Joint Secretaries of the Foreign Service are working as ambassadors. Joint secretaries appointed as ambassadors from yesterday’s cabinet meeting are,Durga Bahadur Subedi (Japan), Ghanshyam Bhandari (Bangladesh), Harishchandra Ghimire (Bahrain), Tirtharaj Wagle (Myanmar), Dornath Aryal (Oman), Sushilkumar Lamsal (Egypt), Bharat Kumar Regmi (Austria), Nirmal Raj Kafle ( Brazil) . The ambassadors appointed on the basis of political affiliation are as follows.

Vishnupukar Shrestha (China)
Dan Bahadur Tamang (South Africa)
Sharmila Parajuli Dhakal (Spain)
Vasudev Mishra (Sri Lanka)
Milan Tuladhar (Russia)
Kailash Pokhrel (Australia)
Dilliraj Poudel (Malaysia)
Shanta Rijal (Israel)
Jyoti Pyakuryal (South Korea)
P.D. Ramsuraj Rai Yadav (Denmark)
Navraj Subedi (Saudi Arabia)
Nareshvikram Dhakal (Qatar)