NT’s phone traffic up due to cheaper foreign rates

KATHMANDU, FEB 28 -Customers of Nepal Telecom ( NT ) are making more telephone calls to foreign destinations as they have become cheaper. The company saw a 12.87 percent growth in outgoing international calls in January compared to the same month last year.

DPR of Simara-Tamsariya railway segment gets go-ahead

KATHMANDU, FEB 28 -The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation has given the go-ahead to conduct a detailed project report (DPR) of the proposed Simara-Tamsariya railway line. The DPR of the Chitwan section had been held up for the last eight months after the Department of Forest and Chitwan National Park (CNP) refused to let the study be done citing environmental concerns. Department officials said that they received permission to conduct the DPR last week after the proposed rail route was realigned to avoid core areas of the national park.

NT’s proposal to bring in partner inches forward

KATHMANDU, FEB 26 - Nepal Telecom (NT) has moved a step ahead in its quest to hitch up with a strategic partner with its board okaying plans to hire a consultant to write the bid documents.The state-owned telecom giant will now invite expressions of interest (EOI) from potential consultants who will prepare the tender documents that prospective partners will have to submit.

NT’s average revenue per user falls to Rs 7.6 a day

KATHMANDU, FEB 23 - Nepal Telecom (NT) earns Rs 7.6 per day per user on an average. The average revenue per user (ARPU), however, is down by Rs 6 per day compared to what the company used to earn five years ago. Along with the rise in penetration rate of telecom services, NT’s ARPU is decreasing each year.

Unified licence: No visible results so far

KATHMANDU, FEB 20 - The unified telecom licence regime introduced last year has so far failed to yield any positive results. The new licencing regime’s main focus was on bringing small companies in the mobile service segment and giving customers choices, but licence-holder Smart Telecom has not been able to work on service expansion, while United Telecom Limited (UTL) is yet to acquire its licence.

Exports of NTIS products drop 3.28pc in first half

KATHMANDU, FEB 18 -Exports of goods categorized as having a comparative advantage under the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) have declined 3.28 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year. NTIS products worth Rs 14.2 billion were exported in the first six months of 2013-14 compared to Rs 14.68 billion in the same period in 2012-13.

Govt mulls restarting new taxi registration

KATHMANDU, FEB 18 -The government is considering restarting registration of new taxi es in Bagmati Zone within the current fiscal year. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport has said it will take the issue of new cab registration to the new government soon.

Govt plans new bridges along Narayanghat-Mugling road

KATHMANDU, FEB 17 -The government plans to build new bridges along the Narayanghat-Mugling section of the Prithivi Highway, besides improving the road to Asian highway standard. The Department of Roads (DoR) will conduct a feasibility study and start a detail design by an international consultant within this year.

Tale of two ambitious highways

KATHMANDU, FEB 15 -It has been five months since potential bidders abandoned the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Road project, but the government has not been able to finalise its development and financial modality. The case is similar with another proposed express highway—the Kathmandu-Hetauda Tunnel Highway—which is struggling to attract investment.

Govt collects Rs 3b in telecom royalties

KATHMANDU, FEB 15 -The government’s royalty income from the telecom sector jumped 17.18 percent this fiscal year, with the exchequer raking in Rs 3 billion from the telecom , internet and network service providers operating in the country.

Major infra projects moving on slow track

KATHMANDU, FEB 13 -Major infrastructure projects have seen little government spending and physical progress in the first half of the current fiscal year 2013-14. The slow pace indicates that the government will not be able to meet the targets set in the policy and programmes, said officials of the Roads Department.

A day before deadline, NT asked to pay Rs 20b mobile licence renewal fee

KATHMANDU, FEB 11 -Nepal Telecom’s (NT) licence renewal fee issue has heated up once again, with the Nepal Telecommunications Authority ( NTA ) on Monday directing the state-owned company to pay Rs 20 billion to be eligible for operating the GSM mobile service for the next five years. The instruction came after the company applied for renewing its service permit last Friday paying Rs 189 million.

NPBC dumps Rs 1m cap as it scrambles for funds

KATHMANDU, FEB 07 -Nepal Purbadhar Bikas Company (NPBC), which is building the high-priority Kathmandu-Kulekh-ani-Heta-uda Tunnel Highway, has cancelled the Rs 1 million ceiling set for institutional investors as it goes into fund-raising mode with the deadline for the financial closure approaching.

Govt ill-equipped to test cooking oil

KATHMANDU, FEB 02 -The government is not in a position to assure the quality of cooking oil due to the lack of technology to determine the quantity of different components of the oil. This has posed a serious risk to the public health, consumer rights activists said.

Market monitoring of shoes, garment halted

KATHMANDU, FEB 02 - The government has stopped monitoring of shops dealing in readymade garment and shoes although previous inspections have revealed rampant malpractices.The Department of Commerce and Supply Management, which coordinates the market monitoring, said inspection of such business es has not been possible due to massive under-invoicing at customs points.