KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Information and Communication has forwarded the “Report of the Investigation Committee on Nepal Television’s Satellite Bandwidth Procurement Agreement, 2026” to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for further action.
The ministry sent the report to both bodies on Tuesday, requesting them to conduct further study and investigation and proceed with legal action as warranted.
The report was submitted to Minister for Information and Communication Dr. Bikram Timilsina on July 17 by a committee formed to investigate Nepal Television’s satellite bandwidth procurement and leasing agreements signed between 2002 and 2022.
According to the ministry, the committee reviewed contracts and supplementary agreements with foreign satellite service providers, including channel expansion, the upgrade from standard definition (SD) to high definition (HD), and equipment procurement.
The investigation concluded that multiple procurement and contract processes involved legal violations, procedural irregularities, breaches of financial discipline and decisions that caused financial losses to the state broadcaster.
The ministry said the committee was formed on June 4 following complaints, findings in the Auditor General’s reports and issues of public concern related to the procurement process.
According to the report, violations of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and the Public Procurement Regulations, 2007 resulted in estimated losses of Rs 206.17 million to Nepal Television.
The committee found that contracts were repeatedly extended without competitive bidding, payments were made before services began, excessive bills were paid after services commenced, and bandwidth was procured beyond actual requirements based on inflated cost estimates.
It also identified the selection of a technically disqualified bidder for service procurement in 2012 and the decision to continue purchasing bandwidth from the same provider even as the satellite neared the end of its operational life as serious procedural lapses.
The report further stated that taxes and other government revenues due during the payment process were not fully deposited, pointing to significant weaknesses in financial discipline, internal controls and revenue management.
According to the ministry, the report holds senior management officials and members of Nepal Television’s board responsible for decisions made from the 2012 contract onward that were contrary to the institution’s interests and recommends legal action against those involved.
The investigation also examined a June 6, 2022 incident in which all Nepal Television channels went off air for around 30 minutes, attributing the disruption in part to shortcomings in board decision-making.
The committee additionally found that board members were not provided with accurate information by senior management and that technical personnel at both the ministry and Nepal Television failed to effectively fulfill their professional responsibilities.
The ministry said the report recommends legal action against those responsible for procurement irregularities, financial misconduct, conflicts of interest and unnecessary financial burdens, adding that further investigation and legal proceedings are now expected after the report has been submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office and the CIAA.
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