KATHMANDU, Dec 30: The government has postponed the full implementation of the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) for the time being. The implementation of the system has been suspended for the time being due to confusion over the policy of restricting Nepalis returning from abroad from bringing an extra mobile phone set with them.
Purushottam Khanal, chairman of Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA), the regulator of the telecommunication sector in the country, said that the system of registering mobile phones brought by Nepalis returning from abroad hasn’t been made mandatory for the time being. "In the future, we will implement it after the necessary preparations and discussions. The system of registering mobile phones brought by traders from abroad will, however, remain in place,” he said.
After widespread criticism and protests, the government has also temporarily suspended the provision of obtaining a declaration form at the customs point when bringing a mobile phone as a gift from abroad. The Customs Department has already instructed the airport customs office not to issue such a notification which was supposed to be issued today.
According to the head of Tribhuwan Airport Customs Office, Arun Pokharel, the system of getting a free declaration form by self-declaring one mobile phone in use, and paying the customs fee for the second mobile phone, has not been implemented from today. Accordingly, the customs office did not issue a notification on the issue.