The Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) has ordered market leader Nepal Telecom to pay NPR20 billion ($181 million) to renew its mobile licence.
The licence was initially valid for ten years, with the option to extend it for another five years. However, according to NepaliTelecom.com, the terms of issue did not clearly stipulate a renewal fee and Nepal Telecom proposed a sum of around NPR10 billion – roughly 4% of its yearly revenue.
While Nepal Telecom’s suggestion is around half of what the NTA is now demanding, it is worth noting that the country’s operators had petitioned the regulator to set the renewal rates at reasonable levels that would be considered internationally standard.
NTA acting chairman Purushottam Khanal has stated that it has decided on the NPR20 billion licence renewal fee as a standard for all operators in the market.
