Saturday, August 22, 2026

Ncell pays Rs. 4.96 B for licence renewal

Kathmandu, Aug. 20

Private telecommunications service provider Ncell Axiata has paid Rs. 4.96 billion to the government towards the renewal fee for its mobile service licence.

Of the total amount it paid to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), Rs. 4.25 billion represents the principal amount of the outstanding instalment of the licence renewal fee.

The payment also includes Rs. 649.26 million in interest for 328 days from 23 August 2025 to the end of the 2025/26 fiscal year, and a further Rs. 65.32 million in interest for 33 days from 17 July to 18 August 2026, the company said.

Ncell had already paid the instalment and interest due up to 22 August 2025. On 22 August last year, the company paid Rs. 3.29 billion, following an earlier payment of Rs. 2 billion on 13 July 2025.

The government had allowed Ncell to pay the Rs. 20 billion mobile service licence renewal fees in four instalments. A Cabinet meeting in August 2024 had decided that the outstanding instalments would carry annual interest of 10 per cent.

The company had initially applied for licence renewal after paying Rs. 4 billion as the first instalment in May 2024. The government subsequently allowed the remaining amount to be paid in instalments.

Ncell said that it has contributed around Rs. 375 billion to the government in taxes and various fees since its establishment. The payments include licence and renewal fees, royalties, telecommunications service charges and income tax, among other government levies.

The company began operations after receiving a GSM cellular mobile service licence on 31 August 2004 under the brand name Mero Mobile.

 Published in The Rising Nepal on 21 August 2026.   

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