NOC staff on warpath over bonus stop
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, AUG 03 -
Agitating employees’ unions of the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) have decided to close petroleum depots across the country on Wednesday after the management withdrew its plans to distribute bonus.
The unions have also decided to close the depots for half a day on Thursday and Friday, a National Employees’ Union member at the NOC told the Post.
The unions have formed a struggle committee that has submitted a 13-point charter of demands to the management that includes distribution of bonus.
The trade unions have come up strongly against the NOC management objecting to the Board’s decision to withdraw its previous decision to distribute bonus for the fiscal year 2008-09.
“The NOC should implement its decision passed by the Board,” said Babu Ram Rai, president of Nepal National Employees’ Union.
According to him, other issues the unions have demanded are maintenance of depots, recruitment of capable technicians, formulating a petroleum and explosives Act, among others. The NOC had earned a profit of Rs 3.31 billion during the year and had provisioned over Rs 19 million for bonus to employees. However, the NOC board was forced to scrap the distribution of the bonus after the government, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and consumer rights activists criticised the move. The government has 98 percent stake in NOC.
After the CIAA directed the NOC not to distribute bonus, the NOC board had reversed its decision to distribute Rs 198.8 million as bonus to its staffs for the fiscal year 2008/09.
“We are ready to address all the demands of the unions but we cannot distribute the bonus that has been stopped by the government,” said Digambar Jha, general manager of NOC.
However, Rai said the unions were organising protests since a long time demanding improvement of the NOC. “We are not focusing on bonus only in our protest programmes, but the management decision to provide bonus and again withdrawing it has made the employees feel uncomfortable,” Rai said.
Rai added that the agitation would continue until the NOC withdraws its decision. The management had called the unions for talks on Tuesday. However, union members refused to sit for the talks. On the other hand, Jha said the management would call the unions for talks on Wednesday.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Bistros to get costlier
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, AUG 02 -
The Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) is set to increase the price of meals served by its member establishments by 7-8 percent in line with inflation and the raised salaries of their employees.
The revised prices will come into effect from August-end.
Currently, all the eateries under REBAN are charging 24.3 percent tax (including 10 percent service charge and 13 percent VAT). However, with the revised prices, consumers will have to pay around 30-31 percent extra.
“We are compelled to increase prices as there is only a marginal 7-8 percent profit for restaurants and bars,” said Tejendra N. Shrestha, president of REBAN and proprietor of Yin Yang Restaurant and Bar.
Restaurant owners and labour unions had an understanding to review their pay and perks every three years. However, with the increased inflation, restaurant owners have been compelled to hike the pay of the employees every year, which was also the reason to increase the prices on their menus, he said.
According to him, restaurants serving local consumers had already revised their prices. However, the tourist standard restaurants are still waiting for the tourist season to increase the price of their food and beverages.
“All the restaurants and hotels should make 20-30 percent profit as per the principle of the hospitality industry to pay taxes and run the business. However, business in this sector was not going as expected due to labour related issues, load-shedding and inflation that has increased the operating cost,” he added.
Nepal Rastra Bank’s data of the first 11 months of the current fiscal year said that the price index of food and beverages group increased by 11.3 percent. The data said that restaurant meal price indices increased in the review period by 18.8 percent compared to 16.5 percent in the same period last year.
According to a source, the government’s recent move to make it mandatory for all eateries having an annual transaction of Rs. 2 million or more to come under the VAT net has also prompted restaurants to increase the menu price.
There are around 1,600 restaurants in the Kathmandu Valley, however; only 300-350 restaurants are in the tax net.
“The high restaurant price has affected the consumers ultimately,” Shrestha said, adding that the government should remove the Rs. 2 million threshold in the VAT system and increase the tax limit to bring all the restaurants into the tax net.
The government should encourage taxpayers by providing subsidies to those paying big tax amounts, he said.
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, AUG 02 -
The Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) is set to increase the price of meals served by its member establishments by 7-8 percent in line with inflation and the raised salaries of their employees.
The revised prices will come into effect from August-end.
Currently, all the eateries under REBAN are charging 24.3 percent tax (including 10 percent service charge and 13 percent VAT). However, with the revised prices, consumers will have to pay around 30-31 percent extra.
“We are compelled to increase prices as there is only a marginal 7-8 percent profit for restaurants and bars,” said Tejendra N. Shrestha, president of REBAN and proprietor of Yin Yang Restaurant and Bar.
Restaurant owners and labour unions had an understanding to review their pay and perks every three years. However, with the increased inflation, restaurant owners have been compelled to hike the pay of the employees every year, which was also the reason to increase the prices on their menus, he said.
According to him, restaurants serving local consumers had already revised their prices. However, the tourist standard restaurants are still waiting for the tourist season to increase the price of their food and beverages.
“All the restaurants and hotels should make 20-30 percent profit as per the principle of the hospitality industry to pay taxes and run the business. However, business in this sector was not going as expected due to labour related issues, load-shedding and inflation that has increased the operating cost,” he added.
Nepal Rastra Bank’s data of the first 11 months of the current fiscal year said that the price index of food and beverages group increased by 11.3 percent. The data said that restaurant meal price indices increased in the review period by 18.8 percent compared to 16.5 percent in the same period last year.
According to a source, the government’s recent move to make it mandatory for all eateries having an annual transaction of Rs. 2 million or more to come under the VAT net has also prompted restaurants to increase the menu price.
There are around 1,600 restaurants in the Kathmandu Valley, however; only 300-350 restaurants are in the tax net.
“The high restaurant price has affected the consumers ultimately,” Shrestha said, adding that the government should remove the Rs. 2 million threshold in the VAT system and increase the tax limit to bring all the restaurants into the tax net.
The government should encourage taxpayers by providing subsidies to those paying big tax amounts, he said.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Air tourist arrival up by 26pc in July
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, AUG 01 -
Tourist arrivals by air increased by 26.1 percent to 29,338 in July compared to the same month last year.
The figures released by the Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), reveal that arrivals from the South Asian region grew 31.3 percent with Bangladesh posting a rise of 88.9 percent, India 26.5 percent, Pakistan 10.3 percent and Sri Lanka 48.7 percent.
The increase in visitor arrivals from India showed sustained growth this year, except for a slight slump in April. Arrivals from India dipped 2.6 percent in April compared to the same period last year.
Visitor arrivals from other parts of Asia have also recorded a double-digit growth of 19.9 percent. China, another major source market, recorded a jump of 104.2 percent. Arrivals from Japan were up 10.7 percent, Malaysia 98.9 percent and Singapore 24.7 percent. However, arrivals from South Korea and Thailand have registered negative growths of 2.1 percent and 45 percent respectively.
Regarding long-haul markets, Europe registered an overall positive growth of 24.6 percent with the major source markets showing a positive trend.
Arrivals from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzer-land, Spain, Sweden and the UK were up 8.5 percent, 13.8 percent, 56.7 percent, 29.9 percent, 94.8 percent, 57.8 percent, 32.4 percent, 67.9 percent, 42.7 percent, 22.8 percent, 52.5 percent and 3.8 percent respectively.
Likewise, arrivals from Canada and the US also registered growths of 24.9 percent and 12.8 percent respectively. Australia showed a marginal increase in arrival figures of 0.9 percent while New Zealand posted a negative growth of 31.1 percent.
Meanwhile, arrivals by land until June 2010 totalled 60,877, up 6.2 percent compared to the same period last year. March remained the strongest of the first six months of 2010 with 18,620 arrivals, ahead of February (15,823) and January (7,492).
The Bhairahawa border point posted a rise of 10 percent with 42,190 tourists coming in followed by Kodari and Kakkarbhitta with 13,630 and 3,376 arrivals respectively in the first six months of 2010.
Aggregate visitor arrivals rose by 15 percent to 257,196 for the period between January-June 2010 (by both air and land) compared to the same period last year.
Foreign tourist departures from TIA in July reached 31,103. The number of Nepali arrivals stood at 50,309
while departures amounted
to 64,972.
Tourist arrivals by air
Month Arrivals (2009) Arrivals (2010) Change (%)
Jan 21,944 26,071 18.80
Feb 25,181 33,492 33.00
Mar 33,005 44,431 34.61
Apr 37,819 38, 694 2.31
May 25,129 26,634 5.98
June 23,222 26,997 16.30
July 23,266 29,338 26.09
Total 189,566 225,657 19.03
(Source: Nepal Tourism Board)
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, AUG 01 -
Tourist arrivals by air increased by 26.1 percent to 29,338 in July compared to the same month last year.
The figures released by the Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), reveal that arrivals from the South Asian region grew 31.3 percent with Bangladesh posting a rise of 88.9 percent, India 26.5 percent, Pakistan 10.3 percent and Sri Lanka 48.7 percent.
The increase in visitor arrivals from India showed sustained growth this year, except for a slight slump in April. Arrivals from India dipped 2.6 percent in April compared to the same period last year.
Visitor arrivals from other parts of Asia have also recorded a double-digit growth of 19.9 percent. China, another major source market, recorded a jump of 104.2 percent. Arrivals from Japan were up 10.7 percent, Malaysia 98.9 percent and Singapore 24.7 percent. However, arrivals from South Korea and Thailand have registered negative growths of 2.1 percent and 45 percent respectively.
Regarding long-haul markets, Europe registered an overall positive growth of 24.6 percent with the major source markets showing a positive trend.
Arrivals from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzer-land, Spain, Sweden and the UK were up 8.5 percent, 13.8 percent, 56.7 percent, 29.9 percent, 94.8 percent, 57.8 percent, 32.4 percent, 67.9 percent, 42.7 percent, 22.8 percent, 52.5 percent and 3.8 percent respectively.
Likewise, arrivals from Canada and the US also registered growths of 24.9 percent and 12.8 percent respectively. Australia showed a marginal increase in arrival figures of 0.9 percent while New Zealand posted a negative growth of 31.1 percent.
Meanwhile, arrivals by land until June 2010 totalled 60,877, up 6.2 percent compared to the same period last year. March remained the strongest of the first six months of 2010 with 18,620 arrivals, ahead of February (15,823) and January (7,492).
The Bhairahawa border point posted a rise of 10 percent with 42,190 tourists coming in followed by Kodari and Kakkarbhitta with 13,630 and 3,376 arrivals respectively in the first six months of 2010.
Aggregate visitor arrivals rose by 15 percent to 257,196 for the period between January-June 2010 (by both air and land) compared to the same period last year.
Foreign tourist departures from TIA in July reached 31,103. The number of Nepali arrivals stood at 50,309
while departures amounted
to 64,972.
Tourist arrivals by air
Month Arrivals (2009) Arrivals (2010) Change (%)
Jan 21,944 26,071 18.80
Feb 25,181 33,492 33.00
Mar 33,005 44,431 34.61
Apr 37,819 38, 694 2.31
May 25,129 26,634 5.98
June 23,222 26,997 16.30
July 23,266 29,338 26.09
Total 189,566 225,657 19.03
(Source: Nepal Tourism Board)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Nepal keen on NW passage
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 29 -
Nepal has once again shown interest in lobbying with China and India to bring into operation the air route dubbed Trans-Himalayan 2 connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said that Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sarat Singh Bhandari had assured them that the government would use diplomatic channels to talk with both neighbours to bring the air route into operation.
If the proposed air route is opened, hundreds of international airlines will use Nepali airspace and help the country to develop as a hub, air revenue will be increased and the air distance between China and Southeast Asia will be significantly reduced benefiting the region as a whole.
CAAN officials added that the proposed route would be the shortest and could establish Nepal as an international transit point. The second international airport that the government has planned to construct in Nijgadh this fiscal
year would be the greatest beneficiary.
The proposed route is more direct, safer, economical and efficient for flights between Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. These routes will reduce the congestion of westbound traffic flows across the Bay of Bengal. The officials said that access to international air space would give Nepal a huge opportunity to develop as a hub like India, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in South Asia. They added that international air accessibility had changed the face of Southeast Asia over the period 1979-97.
Laxman Prasad Bhattarai, spokesperson at the Ministry of Tourism, said that Nepal had been raising the issue at ICAO and other forums, but that nothing had come of it. He added that the proposed route with maximum coverage of Nepal’s air space on long distance international flights could bring great benefits to the country if they could be brought into operation.
CAAN director general Ram Prasad Neupane said that ICAO had suggested lobbying and signing memorandums of understanding with each country linked with the route. He said that Nepal must sign separate air route agreements with China and India to bring the route into operation. “The issue should be raised through diplomatic channels,” he added.
According to CAAN, Nepal has proposed three air routes -- Himalaya 1 (Bankok-Kolkata-Nepalgunj-Indek in Pakistan), Himalaya 2 (Kunming-Kathmandu-Delhi) and Himalaya 3 (Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-Delhi) at different ICAO meetings and other forums.
“The most lucrative route is Himalaya 2 which is a dream as it requires much effort by Nepal to get India and China to agree,” said Pratap Babu Tiwari, deputy director, Air Traffic Management and Air Route Department, CAAN. He added that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) was also interested in the route.
Currently, Nepal has three incoming air routes — Simara, Kakkarbhitta from Paro and the Nonim air route from China. Kathmandu-Mahendra-nagar-Delhi is the outgoing air route for international flights.
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 29 -
Nepal has once again shown interest in lobbying with China and India to bring into operation the air route dubbed Trans-Himalayan 2 connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said that Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sarat Singh Bhandari had assured them that the government would use diplomatic channels to talk with both neighbours to bring the air route into operation.
If the proposed air route is opened, hundreds of international airlines will use Nepali airspace and help the country to develop as a hub, air revenue will be increased and the air distance between China and Southeast Asia will be significantly reduced benefiting the region as a whole.
CAAN officials added that the proposed route would be the shortest and could establish Nepal as an international transit point. The second international airport that the government has planned to construct in Nijgadh this fiscal
year would be the greatest beneficiary.
The proposed route is more direct, safer, economical and efficient for flights between Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. These routes will reduce the congestion of westbound traffic flows across the Bay of Bengal. The officials said that access to international air space would give Nepal a huge opportunity to develop as a hub like India, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in South Asia. They added that international air accessibility had changed the face of Southeast Asia over the period 1979-97.
Laxman Prasad Bhattarai, spokesperson at the Ministry of Tourism, said that Nepal had been raising the issue at ICAO and other forums, but that nothing had come of it. He added that the proposed route with maximum coverage of Nepal’s air space on long distance international flights could bring great benefits to the country if they could be brought into operation.
CAAN director general Ram Prasad Neupane said that ICAO had suggested lobbying and signing memorandums of understanding with each country linked with the route. He said that Nepal must sign separate air route agreements with China and India to bring the route into operation. “The issue should be raised through diplomatic channels,” he added.
According to CAAN, Nepal has proposed three air routes -- Himalaya 1 (Bankok-Kolkata-Nepalgunj-Indek in Pakistan), Himalaya 2 (Kunming-Kathmandu-Delhi) and Himalaya 3 (Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-Delhi) at different ICAO meetings and other forums.
“The most lucrative route is Himalaya 2 which is a dream as it requires much effort by Nepal to get India and China to agree,” said Pratap Babu Tiwari, deputy director, Air Traffic Management and Air Route Department, CAAN. He added that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) was also interested in the route.
Currently, Nepal has three incoming air routes — Simara, Kakkarbhitta from Paro and the Nonim air route from China. Kathmandu-Mahendra-nagar-Delhi is the outgoing air route for international flights.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Paid leave may boost tourism: MoF
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, FEB 28 - The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is preparing bring forth a 'Paid Leave' package for civil servants aiming at promoting domestic tourism.
The government has kept the plan at a priority list.
Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Banskota said that the ministry was discussing the package initiative in order to promote domestic tourism and boost the upcoming Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY-2011).
"It is not possible to implement the model immediately. However, we are mulling over the issue so that it can be launched next year," he said. According to him, firstly resource for the expenditure needs to be managed to implement the package.
Paid Leave in other countries is defined as a feature in some employee agreements that provide a 'resource' of hours that an employee can draw from to take time off from work and take leave to visit an inbound tourist across the country.
The initiative aims at promoting domestic tourism. The packages are implemented in most of the Asian and European countries where the government provides leave to its employees.
The World Tourism Organiation defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than 24 hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". It could be either domestic or international. Under the domestic tourism promotion, paid leave has become a popular global leisure activity.
However, Nepal's tourism policy does not incorporate domestic visitors as tourists, said a travel entrepreneur.
If the paid leave is implemented, about 400,000 civil servants should be incorporated to these packages by the ministry paying them to go for visit. "Thus, this issue will take some time," Banskota added.
Tourism Ministry, Nepal Tourism Board and travel entrepreneurs had been requesting the government for necessary policy and programme of paid leave to promote domestic tourism for the last three years. "If the programme is implemented, it can give boost to the tourism sector even during off seasons," said Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive officer of NTB.
Arjun Sharma, president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) said that the programme could be implemented but executing the programme at one time was difficult. "It should be started from one of the largest profit earning public enterprises," he said.
Madhav Om Shrestha, executive director of Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) said that they had been requesting the government several times for the paid leave packages and programmes. Government is also positive about providing paid leave to the civil servants, he said.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Cheating goes ‘mobile’ in exam halls
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -
Using chits or bringing unauthorised items into the exam hall is strictly prohibited. But, what if a student uses a mobile phone, the most high-tech method for cheating?
Modern technology has changed the way how students cheat in examinations. It gives them the opportunity to be less liable to be caught. One big help for them is the mobile internet browsing service.
Lalit Sharma (name changed), a Master’s level student appearing for his second year examinations commended the new technique. “It’s trouble-free way, no need to waste you time making a chit or running frequently to the toilet to see the guess papers and guides,” he said. Just click the question topic and see the answer that comes, he said scoffing at the examination guards. . “It is easy to dodge them,” he added.
Google is the best option for students to get the answers. It responds quickly and the information is better and more reliable than what you get from the teachers, Sharma said.
Prof. Bishwomber Pyakurel, an admirer of mobile internet, said, “Thanks to my cell phone, it took me just two minutes to know the topic being discussed,” he said during one of his discussion programmes held recently. Talking to the Post, he stressed knowledge world should be utilised in the right way. “In developed nations, students are given limited space to answer questions during their examination. So, they do not find internet copying effective,” he said.
Ratna Rajya Campus Chief Gopal Chandra Pokhrel said the trend of using internet mobiles for cheating is growing. “We found several instances at the Bachelor’s level, especially in the Science and Commerce streams,” he said. According to him, such users at the Master’s level are rare as they have limited time to answer a lot of questions. He said that the college direct the examinees not to carry mobile phones adding that even so it is not possible to confiscate the phones.
Today, nearly everyone carries mobile phones. The college issue notices urging the students not to carry mobile phones but the students hardly abide by the rules. “We cannot pressurise them or seize their mobile phones even though we know some of them are into this hi-tech cheating,” Pokhrel said.
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -
Using chits or bringing unauthorised items into the exam hall is strictly prohibited. But, what if a student uses a mobile phone, the most high-tech method for cheating?
Modern technology has changed the way how students cheat in examinations. It gives them the opportunity to be less liable to be caught. One big help for them is the mobile internet browsing service.
Lalit Sharma (name changed), a Master’s level student appearing for his second year examinations commended the new technique. “It’s trouble-free way, no need to waste you time making a chit or running frequently to the toilet to see the guess papers and guides,” he said. Just click the question topic and see the answer that comes, he said scoffing at the examination guards. . “It is easy to dodge them,” he added.
Google is the best option for students to get the answers. It responds quickly and the information is better and more reliable than what you get from the teachers, Sharma said.
Prof. Bishwomber Pyakurel, an admirer of mobile internet, said, “Thanks to my cell phone, it took me just two minutes to know the topic being discussed,” he said during one of his discussion programmes held recently. Talking to the Post, he stressed knowledge world should be utilised in the right way. “In developed nations, students are given limited space to answer questions during their examination. So, they do not find internet copying effective,” he said.
Ratna Rajya Campus Chief Gopal Chandra Pokhrel said the trend of using internet mobiles for cheating is growing. “We found several instances at the Bachelor’s level, especially in the Science and Commerce streams,” he said. According to him, such users at the Master’s level are rare as they have limited time to answer a lot of questions. He said that the college direct the examinees not to carry mobile phones adding that even so it is not possible to confiscate the phones.
Today, nearly everyone carries mobile phones. The college issue notices urging the students not to carry mobile phones but the students hardly abide by the rules. “We cannot pressurise them or seize their mobile phones even though we know some of them are into this hi-tech cheating,” Pokhrel said.
FY to see 2nd int’l airport birth
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -
Construction of the country's second international airport is among the projects the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has planned for the current fiscal year 2010-11. Eight new projects have been proposed in addition to the projects carried over from the last fiscal.
Implementing leave tourism (paid leave), setting up a new radar at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), expanding tourism areas and implementing the Tourism Satellite Account are among the new projects that will be started this fiscal year.
Similarly, integrated lake conservation project, special Mt. Everest cleaning mission and converting Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) into a company are its other plans. All these projects have been assessed in the last fiscal year and will be accomplished in the current fiscal, MoTCA said Monday while discussing its annual progress report and new programmes at the parliamentary International Relation and Human Rights Committee.
In a bid to boost domestic tourism and the morale of civil servants, MoTCA has proposed the paid leave tourism concept. A task force has identified potential vacation spots in different parts of the country.
MoTCA has also planned to install a new radar system considering the increase in air traffic at the country's only international airport.
"TIA, which was designed to handle 1,300 passengers per hour, sometimes has to process over 2,000 passengers," said MoTCA secretary Kishore Thapa.
MoTCA has proposed expanding tourist areas to Ilam in the east and Baitadi in the west. Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lumbini, Chitwan and Lukla are the only designated tourist spots presently.
The Tourism Satellite Account will calculate separate credible and comprehensive measurements of tourism value from tourism activities and provide concrete data of tourism contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Under the integrated lake conservation project, the ministry will conserve the country's lakes making them a significant product to attract tourists.
The feasibility study for the country's second international airport at Nijgadh will be concluded after seven months. "We are planning to start construction after the study is completed," Thapa said. The contract to do the feasibility study was awarded to LMW, Korea last year. Converting Nepal Airlines Corporation into a company will also be initiated in the current fiscal year.
The ministry is working on the procedures from the last fiscal year. Likewise, MoTCA has proposed opening new peaks for commercial expeditions.
The ministry will also revise the air service agreements (ASAs) signed with European, Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific countries. Nepal currently has ASAs with 35 countries.
Tourism infrastructure development, attracting one million tourists during Nepal Tourism Year 2011 and upgrading the international airport and regional airports are among the projects being carried over from the last fiscal.
The National Planning Commission has a budget ceiling of Rs. 818.7 million (excluding the budget for NTY 2011) for MoTCA for the current fiscal year.
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -
Construction of the country's second international airport is among the projects the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has planned for the current fiscal year 2010-11. Eight new projects have been proposed in addition to the projects carried over from the last fiscal.
Implementing leave tourism (paid leave), setting up a new radar at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), expanding tourism areas and implementing the Tourism Satellite Account are among the new projects that will be started this fiscal year.
Similarly, integrated lake conservation project, special Mt. Everest cleaning mission and converting Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) into a company are its other plans. All these projects have been assessed in the last fiscal year and will be accomplished in the current fiscal, MoTCA said Monday while discussing its annual progress report and new programmes at the parliamentary International Relation and Human Rights Committee.
In a bid to boost domestic tourism and the morale of civil servants, MoTCA has proposed the paid leave tourism concept. A task force has identified potential vacation spots in different parts of the country.
MoTCA has also planned to install a new radar system considering the increase in air traffic at the country's only international airport.
"TIA, which was designed to handle 1,300 passengers per hour, sometimes has to process over 2,000 passengers," said MoTCA secretary Kishore Thapa.
MoTCA has proposed expanding tourist areas to Ilam in the east and Baitadi in the west. Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lumbini, Chitwan and Lukla are the only designated tourist spots presently.
The Tourism Satellite Account will calculate separate credible and comprehensive measurements of tourism value from tourism activities and provide concrete data of tourism contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Under the integrated lake conservation project, the ministry will conserve the country's lakes making them a significant product to attract tourists.
The feasibility study for the country's second international airport at Nijgadh will be concluded after seven months. "We are planning to start construction after the study is completed," Thapa said. The contract to do the feasibility study was awarded to LMW, Korea last year. Converting Nepal Airlines Corporation into a company will also be initiated in the current fiscal year.
The ministry is working on the procedures from the last fiscal year. Likewise, MoTCA has proposed opening new peaks for commercial expeditions.
The ministry will also revise the air service agreements (ASAs) signed with European, Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific countries. Nepal currently has ASAs with 35 countries.
Tourism infrastructure development, attracting one million tourists during Nepal Tourism Year 2011 and upgrading the international airport and regional airports are among the projects being carried over from the last fiscal.
The National Planning Commission has a budget ceiling of Rs. 818.7 million (excluding the budget for NTY 2011) for MoTCA for the current fiscal year.
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