KATHMANDU: The government has extended the deadline for Smart Telecom, the private mobile network service provider of the country, to clear arrears.

The Company has been given six months as per the Cabinet decision on July 14 to clear its arrears worth over Rs 6 billion.

The deadline for the Company to clear its arrears was July 15, 2021.

A letter in this regard has reached the Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA), said Santosh Paudel, NTA Spokesperson.

Following the extension of the deadline, the Company has to submit its progress report to the NTA each month, he said.

NTA has to carry out the analysis of the financial status of Smart Telecom on the basis of the details submitted by the Company within the coming mid-November and submit it to the Ministry.

The Authority had written to the Land Survey and the Land Revenue office last April after Telecom failed to pay the arrears.

The company has not paid the amount in various topics to the government for four years.