Taskforce advises government to seek NT partner

A taskforce led by Narayan Prasad Regmi, joint secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Information and Communications, recommended the government seek a strategic partner for state-owned national PTO Nepal Telecom (Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited, or NT).

Local newspaper Republica reports the taskforce, set up five months ago to suggest ways to make NT more competitive, should allow a strategic partner take a 26 percent to 30 percent share in the telco.

The paper quotes Regmi as saying: “NT no longer holds monopoly in Nepal’s telecom market. But its working style has remained all the same despite growing competition in the market. Therefore, it has become a necessity for NT to invite strategic foreign partner to bring about improvements in its services.”

It is understood the high-level taskforce has suggested that the sate select an international telecom operator with a minimum 15 years of experience through a global tender. The company should have at least 20 million subscribers on both fixed and GSM lines, and an annual turnover of at least USD1 billion.