February 14:  Smartphone users in Nepal can now register their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number online. Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA) has made provision to facilitate the public for online IMEI registration from their home.

It is mandatory for mobile importers to register the IMEI number with the telecom authority before distributing the phones in the market.

Those mobile phones that are bought from abroad personally or received as a gift also need to be registered with the telecom authority.

NTA had started IMEI registration from April 2016 in order to dissuade importers from avoiding customs duty, discourage theft and criminal activities and to help police in case theft of phones.

NTA spokesperson Min Prasad Aryal informed that registration of IMEI number for personal or corporate use has started from Tuesday, February 13. He further said that registration of IMEI numbers would help in controlling the 'grey market' and also help in finding lost phones.