Kathmandu, April 10 -- The Supreme Court has ordered Ncell and Axiata, the parent company of the private-sector telecom operator, to clear its outstanding capital gains tax within three months and barred Ncell from repatriating profit and distributing dividend and shares until it pays the dues.

The top court in February had said Ncell and Axiata should pay capital gains tax, ending a long-drawn debate over whether the buyer should pay the tax, but the full text of the decision released on Tuesday has set the deadline of three months for the companies to clear the dues. TeliaSonera, a Swedish company which previously owned Ncell, exited the country without paying the capital gains tax after it sold the company to Axiata, the Malaysian tel...