India positive to reduce telephone tariff

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Mar. 24: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has said that India has been positive to reduce the telephone call charge from India to Nepal.

She said so while talking to the journalists upon her arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) today from a four-day India visit.

"In comparison to the telephone charge from Nepal to India, the charge from India to Nepal is very high. We raised this issue seriously as there are many Nepalis for different reasons residing in India, and the Indian side responded positively," she said.

In her meeting with her Indian counterpart, she said she also discussed about the difficulties Nepalis are facing in getting mobile SIM card in India.

Minister Sharma said the meeting also dwelt on ensuring Nepal access to sea for optical fiber which can reduce the cost of internet charge in Nepal. Presently Nepal gets internet bandwidth only through the Sunauli border. "We also raised the issue that arrangement is needed for ensuring that Nepal gets the bandwidth through other border points as well."

Minister Sharma was in India to take part in the inaugural of the ITU Area Office and Innovation Center in New Delhi.