But NTC is reliant on money from the government and on foreign loans and grants. Private telecom companies will have quicker access to more money, better technology and the best technical experts. They will be able to retrain their workers better, and put them to work on the most modern machines. It is no secret that political turbulence and political interference is a major problem for every state-owned enterprise in Nepal and almost everywhere. When public services are controlled by bureaucrats and politicians, the company is forced to make decisions based on political demands, not on consumer needs.
Privatization sets new priorities, and that benefits consumers, managers and workers alike.
Of course these are not the only benefits that NTC will bring Nepal. Privatization and competition will mean greater tax revenues for the government. It will help encourage investment by improving a critical part of infrastructure that, today no country can live without. It will enhance mid-level and higher education, providing more and cheaper access to the Internet, which is becoming an increasingly important research tool for students. But privatizing NTC will help achieve one overriding benefit even greater than telecommunications itself.