Last Updated on July 13, 2026
Summary✨
- Arjun Ghimire has been appointed as the chairman of Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) following a cabinet decision.
- He took an oath of office after receiving his appointment letter on Asar 29, 2083.
- Ghimire was selected from 29 applicants through a competitive process and has high expectations placed on him.
- He will oversee the upcoming 5G spectrum auction and address significant challenges in the telecommunications sector.
- Ghimire must tackle issues such as financial constraints facing telcos and calls for new competition in the market.
Arjun Ghimire has been appointed as the chairman of Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA). Ghimire was appointed as per the cabinet decision. He received his appointment letter from the communication minister, Dr. Bikram Timilsina, on Asar 29.
Ghimire has assumed his office after taking an oath of office and secrecy.
NTA had announced a vacancy for NTA chairman (2082) on Baisakh 26, which drew 29 applicants. Out of the total, 9 were shortlisted and were interviewed on Asar 24.
While presenting the appointment letter, Minister Timilsina said that there are high expectations from Chairman Ghimire, who was selected through a competitive process and assumed the responsibility. The minister stated that the recommendation committee selected him based on the belief that he could perform his duties in a fair, impartial, and result-oriented manner over other candidates. He stressed that the regulatory body should play its role seriously.
Minister Timilsina directed to pay special attention to solving the existing problems in the telecommunications sector, to work impartially as per legal responsibilities, and to perform the work keeping the interests of the citizens and quality of service at the center. He also suggested moving forward by making a short-term, medium-term, and long-term action plan without abusing the authority.
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NTA chairman Arjun Ghimire has some major duties in line!
The new NTA chairman, Arjun Ghimire, will oversee the upcoming 5G spectrum auction that will herald the launch of 5G in Nepal. The new chairman also has mounting challenges to address in the telecom industry. Especially, telcos are suffering from falling revenues, and the demand on the government to be lenient on taxes and fees has grown.
Also, there’s a resurgence in the call for a new operator that might break the duopoly of Nepal Telecom and Ncell. These are all serious matters and could shape the future of Nepal’s telco industry. The new incumbent will have a range of exceptional challenges and opportunities.
The former chairman, Bhupendra Bhandari, lost his position after the government’s special ordinance. Now, Bhandari takes over the leadership role at the country’s telecom industry regulator.
Some of the works except 5G and third operator, that needs attention are:
- Mobile network expansion in rural areas using RTDF
- Mobile Number Portability
- Procedure for reissuing old mobile numbers
About Arjun Ghimire
Arjun Ghimire is an insider at NTA. He joined NTA in 2060 as an assistant director. During his tenure at the regulator to date, he has served in various capacities from administration and consumer protection. Speaking of his educational background, Ghimire has a master’s degree in economics from Tribhuvan University (TU).
An employee becoming the chairman of NTA is great news for the authority and its employees. In particular, because he would know the details of the authority and understand the employees, too. Being from within the authority also means that he is well-versed in the administrative workflow and challenges. The government-owned company NTC’s reinstated MD Sangita Pahadi is also an employee at the company. So, it’s noteworthy that both the regulator and the telecom giant have their leadership from within the company.
FAQs on Arjun Ghimire as the new NTA chairman
Arjun Ghimire has been appointed as the new chairman of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA).
He officially assumed office after taking the oath of office and secrecy and receiving his appointment letter on Asar 29.
Ghimire was chosen through a competitive selection process. Out of 29 applicants, 9 candidates were shortlisted and interviewed before the Cabinet approved their appointment.
His major responsibilities include overseeing Nepal’s upcoming 5G spectrum auction, addressing challenges in the telecom sector, improving service quality, and ensuring fair and effective regulation.
He must tackle declining telecom revenues, industry demands for tax and fee reforms, the rollout of 5G, and discussions on introducing a new telecom operator to increase competition.
