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Public Account Committee instructs govt to stop selling of Ncell shares



Public Account Committee meeting at Singh Durbar, 2023. (file)

Kathmandu, Dec 6: The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has instructed the government to publish its opinion within 48 hours regarding the purchase and sale of shares of telecommunication service provider company, Ncell Axiata Limited.

Similarly, Chairman Rishikesh Pokharel informed that the government has been instructed to conduct a detailed investigation and take necessary action within 30 days, and stop all the process regarding the purchase and sale of the shares of Ncell Company.

The committee has also decided to call the Prime Minister in the upcoming meeting of the Accounts Committee.

The committee has also instructed to be serious about the financial manipulation and procedural irregularities by looking for loopholes in the existing legal system during the purchase and sale of Ncell.

The government has been instructed to introduce a bill in the upcoming session of the Parliament for necessary amendments to the ambiguities seen in the existing law.

Today, the Account Committee had a discussion with the Office of the Company Registrar and the Telecommunication Authority regarding the purchase and sale of Ncell.

MPs Amaresh Kumar Singh, Arjun Narsingh KC, Hari Dhakal, Manish Jha, Rajan KC, Yogesh Bhattarai, Rajendra Lingden, among others, spoke in the meeting.

According to reports, Axiata Malaysia bought the company in 2016 for Rs 100.43 billion from Raynolds Holdings and has now sold it for Rs. 6.65 billion to Spectrlite UK owned by NRN Satish Lal Acharya. The Ncell Axiata Limited didn’t inform the Nepali competent authorities about the latest transaction.