Kathmandu: The Nepal Mobile Business Federation has suspended its planned protest, which included halting the visibility of Samsung brand mobiles, following a tripartite agreement reached on Friday between the Federation, the Mobile Phone Importers Association, and the Nepal Mobile Distributors Association.

The Federation had previously announced protests demanding an increase in margins on mobile phones. However, after receiving support from both the Mobile Phone Importers Association and the Nepal Mobile Distributors Association, the parties agreed to reach a concrete decision on the margin issue by November 28, 2024 (13 Mangsir 2081).

The agreement was signed by Bharat Bhattarai, President of the Nepal Mobile Business Federation; Deepak Malhotra, President of the Mobile Phone Importers Association; and Dinesh Chulyado, President of the Nepal Mobile Distributors Association.

The protest was initially sparked after a dispute over margins occurred during a Samsung Retail Meet in Dhangadhi on September 5, 2024 (20 Bhadra 2081), leading the Federation to announce protest programs. As part of these protests, the visibility of Samsung mobile phones was suspended on September 11 and 12 (26 and 27 Bhadra).

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the three organizations declared their unity in addressing the Federation’s demands. The statement noted, “After various stages of discussions, we have reached a unified conclusion to move forward together on the issue of margins and other legitimate concerns raised by the Federation.”

The joint statement further mentioned that the issue of increasing margins is a necessity for all three bodies and that preparations will be made to reach a final decision on November 28. It also emphasized that after the Dhangadhi incident, all parties are committed to improving shortcomings and ensuring that no actions disrupt the business environment.

“With these agreements in place, the Federation has suspended all announced protest programs for now,” the statement concluded.