SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, APR 08 -
The planned merger between Yeti Airlines and its subsidiary Tara Air has been put on hold pending completion of an investigation by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
“There are three different cases related to Tara Air which are being investigated by separate committees in the ministry,” said Joint Secretary Suresh Acharya. “As they are all serious cases, the authorization to merge cannot be granted until they have been finalized.”
Yeti Airlines had applied to the ministry to merge with Tara Air about one and a half months ago in a bid to restore its subsidiary’s image which had been damaged after a Twin Otter crash on Dec. 16, 2010. Tara Air’s Canadian-built aircraft (9N AFX) met with an accident at Shripur in Okhaldhunga district killing all 22 passengers and crew aboard. All the passengers were Bhutanese nationals.
The aircraft investigation committee has been given another 30 days to submit its report on the crash as it failed to do so within the 90-day deadline it was originally given.
A second committee has been formed to probe the issue of the deceased passengers who were all revealed to be Bhutanese citizens but travelling as Nepalis under false ID. Similarly, the third case is related to Tara Air’s taking extra payment from the passengers in the name of service charge.
“All these issues should be cleared before the merger can happen,” Acharya said. If Yeti applies to acquire additional aircraft, it wouldn’t be any problem to authorize the carrier to do so. But merging Tara Air or its property with Yeti Airlines cannot be permitted at present, he added.
“The merger process of any company takes time; and in the case of Tara Air, the process will take longer as there are several legal issues to be investigated before they can be permitted to merge,” said Kishore Thapa, secretary at the ministry.
Ministry officials also alleged that Yeti Airlines was trying to reduce its financial burden after its insurance premiums were hiked following repeated crashes. “We have been informed that insurance companies have increased the premiums after repeated crashes,” a ministry source said.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
LPG shortage temporary : NOC
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, APR 08 -
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said that the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) throughout the country was in a comfortable position.
Explaining the reason behind the queues for cooking gas in Dharan and other cities, NOC spokesman Mukunda Dhungel said that there had been a temporary shortage due to a strike by trade unions excluded from the recent salary hike deal. “Now there is no need to worry about a shortage,” added Dhungel.
However, it will take one more month for normal supply of LPG. Gas bottlers said the shortage was likely to remain till May. LPG is still in short supply in the country’s major cities. The state-owned petroleum monopoly that imported 15,600 tons of LPG from India in March, had requested Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for 19,000 tons of LPG for April. “If NOC imports 19,000 tons of LPG in April, the supply will become normal by May,” said Suresh Prajapati, general secretary of the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association.
Gas bottling companies admitted that NOC had increased the supply of LPG in March.
The long queues in the market, according to gas bottlers, were due to a decline in imports
by NOC in January and February. “Imports were slashed to about 12,000 tons in January and February which had affected supply in March,” said Prajapati.
Consumption of LPG increased by 16.29 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period in the last fiscal.
According to NOC statistics, the country imported 100,557 tons of LPG in the first eight months of the current fiscal year against 86,455 tons during the same period in the last fiscal year.
LPG consumption started rising after 2007-08 when imports surged by almost 20 percent. In 2009-10, LPG imports increased by 21 percent to reach 141,171 tons.
Gas bottling companies said the reason behind the sharp rise in LPG imports was the increased number of households using LPG for cooking. The energy crisis has also prompted people to turn to LPG.
KATHMANDU, APR 08 -
Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said that the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) throughout the country was in a comfortable position.
Explaining the reason behind the queues for cooking gas in Dharan and other cities, NOC spokesman Mukunda Dhungel said that there had been a temporary shortage due to a strike by trade unions excluded from the recent salary hike deal. “Now there is no need to worry about a shortage,” added Dhungel.
However, it will take one more month for normal supply of LPG. Gas bottlers said the shortage was likely to remain till May. LPG is still in short supply in the country’s major cities. The state-owned petroleum monopoly that imported 15,600 tons of LPG from India in March, had requested Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for 19,000 tons of LPG for April. “If NOC imports 19,000 tons of LPG in April, the supply will become normal by May,” said Suresh Prajapati, general secretary of the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association.
Gas bottling companies admitted that NOC had increased the supply of LPG in March.
The long queues in the market, according to gas bottlers, were due to a decline in imports
by NOC in January and February. “Imports were slashed to about 12,000 tons in January and February which had affected supply in March,” said Prajapati.
Consumption of LPG increased by 16.29 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period in the last fiscal.
According to NOC statistics, the country imported 100,557 tons of LPG in the first eight months of the current fiscal year against 86,455 tons during the same period in the last fiscal year.
LPG consumption started rising after 2007-08 when imports surged by almost 20 percent. In 2009-10, LPG imports increased by 21 percent to reach 141,171 tons.
Gas bottling companies said the reason behind the sharp rise in LPG imports was the increased number of households using LPG for cooking. The energy crisis has also prompted people to turn to LPG.
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